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Alternatives For Girls · April E-Newsletter
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Greetings!
In April, thanks to our generous donors and volunteers, our high school seniors prepared to graduate, the young women in our shelter who are pregnant or parenting received a community baby shower (just in time for Mother's Day!), and a group of young women in our Prevention Program were preparing for their trip to Guatemala in June (stay tuned for more details!).
Read on for a wonderful update from Sew Great Detroit, meet a young woman from AFG's shelter who is graduating high school, and learn a quick and easy way you can support girls and young women!
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AFG's Sew Great Detroit
Teaches Profitable Skills
The program hires new members
and takes on a special project
that connects AFG to Nepal
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One Sew Great Detroit member practices sewing a bib during a recent class. The new members have learned and practiced many sewing skills since they started in March.
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Sew Great Detroit has recruited four new women to participate in the weekly commercial sewing employment training program, headed by volunteers and support staff. Last September, four women from the first class of Sew Great Detroit graduated from the program. Since their graduation, all have continued sewing and some have earned income from their new skills!
The classes focus on teaching women valuable sewing skills, like machine sewing and hand finishing techniques, understanding characteristics of fabric, fabric cutting techniques, and beginning design concepts. The women earn a stipend based upon their time sewing, which is supported through contracted projects.
Sew Great Detroit hired to create baby items for special initiative
Their newest project is for Robbi Lindeman, owner of Salt Lab of Detroit, a Detroit-area work studio creating small-batch, map-inspired home products. Robbi has hired Sew Great Detroit to sew bibs and burp cloths, which will be used as incentive gifts for those who donate to Rotary International's Construction Training Program for local villagers in Nepal. The program will teach villagers the skills they need to participate in rebuilding their village, which was devastated by earthquakes one year ago.
Through contracting Sew Great Detroit to create these gifts, Robbi hopes to support skilled training for people in both Detroit and Nepal. The stipend the women in Sew Great Detroit receive will make a big impact for them and their families and they are so happy to be helping with this important project!
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Graduation Stories
AFG's high school graduates
share their struggles and triumphs
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A group of AFG participants listen in during a recent workshop. Through AFG's programs, young women receive the support and resources they need to graduate high school and plan for their future.
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This spring, high school seniors everywhere will be counting the days until their graduation day. Graduating from high school is an important milestone for every young adult, but for some, the path to graduating is filled with obstacles, like homelessness, violence in their communities, or even exploitation.
Despite these challenges, young women in AFG's programs get the help and resources they need to walk across the stage with their peers. We are happy to report that for the 16th year in a row, 100% of the high school seniors in our Prevention Program will be doing just that! This spring, we will be sharing the stories of the young women at AFG who are graduating and beginning the next chapter in their lives. Below is the first story of a young woman determined to succeed. A Different Path Meet Tarra. Tarra is 20 years old, currently a resident in AFG's Shelter, and will be receiving her high school diploma this June. "I was supposed to graduate in 2014, but I did not. I was influenced by the wrong people and I decided that school was not as important at that time, so I didn't go. But now I'm ready."
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Ways to Support AFG While You Shop
Support Girls & Young Women Through
Kroger Community Rewards and AmazonSmile
Below are two ways that you can earn monetary donations for AFG - while doing your regular shopping!
If you are a Kroger customer, Kroger Community Rewards is an easy way to support AFG! Kroger will generously donate a portion of each of your purchases back to AFG. The more points you earn, the more Kroger will donate to AFG!
- Simply register your Kroger Rewards card on Kroger's website. After creating an account, scroll down to "Community Rewards" and click "Enroll." Then select Alternatives For Girls as your gift recipient (AFG's number is 90987).
- If you have already enrolled in Kroger Community Rewards and are supporting AFG, thank you! In order to keep the donations coming to AFG, you must re-enroll each April. After signing in, scroll down to "Community Rewards" and click "Re-Enroll", then select Alternatives For Girls as your gift recipient.
If you are an Amazon customer, by shopping at Smile.Amazon.com and designating Alternatives For Girls as your nonprofit of choice, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to AFG, for every eligible purchase you make!
- To participate, visit Smile.Amazon.com and sign in using your Amazon account email and password. Next, under "Your Account" select "Change Your Charity". Search for "Alternatives For Girls" and select AFG as your charity of choice.
- Or, if you're new to Amazon, create a new account and then you will be prompted to select your charity of choice. That's it! Now, when you shop at Smile.Amazon.com, your purchase will help support AFG!
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Thank you for your continued support!
Amanda (Amy) L. Good
Cheif Executive Officer
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Follow Alternatives For Girls:
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Alternatives For Girls | 903 W. Grand Blvd, Detroit MI 48208 |
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