By Maria Gugerty | Vice President, 4GIRLS Organization
Greetings everyone,
On March 24thand 25ththe Long Beach, CA chapter of the 4GIRLS Organization held our largest workshop to date – with approximately 150 participants in attendance - a 320% increase in workshop participants since our inception in 2010! It was a high energy, high impact event that truly inspired and empowered those in attendance. The theme was “Confident” and by the end of the two-day event, it was apparent that the girls had taken the theme to heart – confidently expressing themselves and, in some cases, demonstrating true leadership qualities.
Our workshop keynote speaker, Kaitlyn Yang, Founder of Alpha Studios, a Los Angeles based post production company, shared her powerful story and journey about emigrating from China at 9 years-old, being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy as a young girl (a condition that has left her wheelchair bound), her struggles to fit in at school and, ultimately, finding her voice and her confidence. Her story was a great example to all of us of the power of the human spirit and what can be accomplished through determination and grit!
In addition to the workshop, the 4GIRLS team was also busy with a couple of Empowerment Events this past quarter. The Orange County, CA chapter participated in a community service activity where they assembled personal care kits for the homeless in the community. Thank you to Orangethorpe Christian Church and the Santa Clara University OC Alumni Association for providing our organization with this opportunity to serve those in need. The Long Beach chapter attended a performance of Peter and the Starcatcher at the Long Beach Playhouse. For many of the girls, it was the first time attending a play. It was great to see their reactions and smiles as they watched the show! Through our Empowerment Events, 4GIRLS strives to expose our girls to as many enriching activities as possible. We love planting seeds of opportunity and watching which ones take hold!
And, finally, 4GIRLS is proud to announce that our Board Member and Orange County Chapter Chair, Angie Gomez, was recognized by Representative Lou Correa as a “Woman of Distinction”. The award honors exceptional women in the 46th Congressional District – and Angie is indeed truly exceptional! She puts her heart and soul into her family, her community and the 4GIRLS Organization. She has touched and continues to touch the lives of many. Congratulations, Angie!
Looking ahead, the momentum continues as the Orange County chapter prepares for their annual “Garden Tea Party” fundraiser and the Long Beach chapter begins planning their annual fundraising gala. These events, like GlobalGiving, are immensely important to our organization as everything that we offer and provide to the girls is at no cost to them. Thank you to our wonderful donors that continue to support our mission through your generous contributions.
Sincerely,
The 4GIRLS Board of Directors
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