Diane Quinn
According to research data gathered during this decade, over 500,000 women in Arizona live in poverty. The vast majority of single-parent households in poverty in this state are headed by women and nearly 90% of those women have only a high school education. Staggering numbers to be sure. These statistics and many more stem from research done by the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, WFSA.
The January 28 program of The Women of Quail Creek will focus on these statistics and the efforts of the WFSA to improve the lives of women and girls throughout Southern Arizona. Representatives of WFSA will address the audience and provide the very latest results of both their research studies and the Foundation’s efforts to effect change.
Founded in 1991, WFSA works to facilitate change that empowers women and girls and it does so in several ways. WFSA is among the oldest foundations of its kind in the United States. Based in Tucson, the foundation works to improve the lives of women and girls through advocacy, research and grants. Some of its most recent efforts are creating public and private partnerships to tackle intergenerational poverty and workforce readiness issues. In 2017-18, WFSA awarded $700,000 in grant funds that helped over 9,000 women.
Through WFSA efforts, partnerships are being formed to address workforce training, childcare costs and the reduction of dependence on public assistance. The Foundation is advocating in Phoenix and with community and business leaders to create changes that will promote training and job growth specifically targeted at women.
Leadership development is also important to the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona. Each year 40 high-school young women become part of Unidas, an after-school program begun by WFSA to provide experience in leadership, community service, social justice and grant-making.
The work of WFSA and The Women of Quail Creek may provide opportunities for collaboration. Some of those possibilities will be explored through this thought-provoking presentation. The program begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Madera Clubhouse Ballroom. For more information regarding The Women of Quail Creek, consult womenqc.com.