Explanation
The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Women2Women in support of the Faces of Courage...Human Empowerment Conference 2026. This ordinance authorizes an upfront payment to Women2Women to support these efforts, as it does not currently have sufficient funds on-hand to await reimbursement for expenses incurred.
Women2Women proposes to implement the Empowering Women… Faces of Courage Human Empowerment Conference 2026, a community-based initiative designed to provide life-skills education, trauma-informed support, and direct access to critical resources for women and families facing poverty, reentry challenges, homelessness, domestic violence, and behavioral health barriers. This initiative builds on over 40 years of service and a proven track record of impact, including serving over 300 participants at the 2025 conference. The 2026 program will expand outreach and deepen engagement through pre-conference workshops, community partnerships, and a culminating empowerment conference in September 2026. The program aligns with local priorities to reduce poverty, improve health equity, and strengthen economic mobility by connecting underserved populations to workforce development, behavioral health services, housing resources, and education pathways.
The program will serve 250-300 women through workshops and a culminating empowerment conference. At least 75% of participants will increase awareness of community resources. 70% will report improved knowledge of behavioral health and wellness supports. 60% will gain understanding of employment and economic opportunities. Over 150 direct connections to service providers will be facilitated. Participants will demonstrate improved life skills, confidence, and self-advocacy. Funds will support program implementation, workshops, resource coordination, and conference delivery. Deliverables include workshops, partner engagement, conference execution, and evaluat...
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