Subject:
Title
EmpowHERment Community Center Computer Literacy for HER Project Fiscal Year 2022 Municipal Services Taxing Unit special projects funding request.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval of the Municipal Services Taxing Unit special projects funding request made by EmpowHERment Community Center in the amount of $17,799.90 to purchase thirty laptop computers, two tablets, and accessories and supplies to facilitate a computer literacy program for women and girls who face difficulty utilizing technology.
• The EmpowHERment Community Center will host two regularly scheduled eight-week programs:
1) “Literacy for HER”- this program will focus on computer and technology literacy training, primarily for employment purposes.
2) “Girl Who Code”- this program will teach more advanced computer skills, which will include guided courses and projects on varying subjects to build confidence and expertise.
• The program will serve 30 women and 30 teen girls per session, with one session per week of each course. This totals 240 potential women and girls positively impacted by their monthly programs to learn and accomplish their computer goals.
• In addition, laptops will be available for in-center use from 10 AM - 6 PM daily. EmpowHERment currently offers a free co-working space, and the addition of laptops at their facility will make this offering even more valuable.
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Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.1 Provide planning, coordination, prevention, and protective services to create and enhance a safe, secure, and healthy community
2.2 Be a facilitator, convener, and purchaser of services for those in need
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.2 Invest in communities that need the most
Deliver First-Class Services to the Public and Our Customers
5.4 Strive to serve the needs of all Pinellas County residents and customers
Summary:
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This is a Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) Special Projects Fiscal Year 2022 Funding Request for EmpowHERment Community Center, a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower all women by fostering the skills and resources needed
for financial self-sufficiency, mental/emotional wellness, and cultivating relationships.
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Background Information:
The mission of EmpowHERment Community Center is to empower all women by fostering the skills and resources needed to obtain self-sufficiency in finances, mental/emotional wellness, and the cultivation of relationships.
In 2018, EmpowHERment was formed as a virtual platform as an outlet for women to connect, inspire, and support one another. In 2020, the founder, Ambee Stephens opened the EmpowHERment Community Center in Clearwater, Florida. In early 2022, a Palm Harbor Center was opened. The two Centers serve as a catalyst for positive change in our community and beyond. As stated by Ms. Stephens: “Since our beginnings, we’ve been driven by the same ideas we initially founded our Women Empowerment Non-Profit Organization upon support, empowerment, and progress”.
EmpowHERment provides services and vital resources such as advocacy support, career guidance, temporary financial assistance, workshops, networking opportunities, and more. EmpowHERment is a safe place for women to tend to their financial, emotional, and physical needs through workshops, support groups, co-working spaces, no-cost hygiene products, and personalized advocacy support. Between two community centers in Pinellas County, EmpowHERment provides a space for women who desire support, want to elevate their current professional or personal growth, and everything in between, including workshops on financial wellness and an eight-week EntreprenuHER program tailored to help women them launch their business, hold one another accountable, and make real change in their lives. At the end of the 8 weeks, each woman receives a $500 grant towards their business. The Computer Literacy program proposed with this grant request is an essential component to the EntreprenuHER program.
EmpowHERment networks with their ever-growing member pool and other partners such as the Department of Children & Families (DCF), HOPE, The Spring, The Haven, CASA, Homeless Empowerment Program (HEP), Pinellas County Schools, FEAST, 211, and more, to identify women and families in need of these programs. Currently, there are no other funding sources. This grant will enable EmpowHERment to continue to serve the women in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough Counties.
Fiscal Impact:
The request for funding in the amount of $17,799.90 is a one-time expenditure of budgeted MSTU Special Projects funds. Body
Staff Member Responsible:
Nancy McKibben, Assistant to the County Administrator Representing Unincorporated North County
Partners:
EmpowHERment Supporters and Partners listed in attachments
Attachments:
EmpowHERment Community Center FY 22 MSTU Special Projects Funding Request Application Form
EmpowHERment Community Center Evaluation Criteria Form FY22 MSTU
EmpowHERment MSTU Itemized Budget