Women’s empowerment brunch raises more than $5k for local shelter

A group of students want to empower the women of Windsor by bringing the community together.

The all-female class of St. Clair College’s event management program planned a fundraising brunch as their final project of the year. They exceeded their goal of $5,000.

Proceeds went to the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families, a local non-profit organization the six students say is close to their hearts.

“Being able to support an organization and help them reach their goals was very important to us,” said Tessa Krieger, one of the students involved in planning the event.

“We are so excited to be making a difference in the lives of hundreds of women in Windsor-Essex,”

Men and women were encouraged to wear a pop of pink to the sold out brunch, called Pretty in the City. Kreiger said one of the goals of the event was to make their guests feel beautiful inside and out.

This is part of the theme of empowering women in the community, which is important to the class because they are all women themselves.

Three speakers were asked to share their stories of struggle and success. Essex NDP MP Tracey Ramsey was one of the three and said the theme means a lot to her.

“For me it’s a constant in my life, that I’m looking at ways to empower other women, because the women around me are always there for me and always empowering me,” said Ramsey.

“The women at the shelter are so special, because they’re empowering women when they’re at the most vulnerable point in their lives. They really are, in a lot of ways, creating a new life for these women.”

Kristin Douglas, strategic partnerships manager of the Welcome Centre, said the goal of the shelter is that no woman or family be without a place to stay.

“Nobody should be worried about where they’re going to stay every night,” said Douglas. “There’s no exceptions to that. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity.”

Douglas said there are many third-party events planned to raise money for the shelter, but not all of them work out. She is impressed the girls were able to plan something like this in two months and make their goal.

Kreiger said although the planning has been stressful, the support from the community and success of the event was rewarding.

“Women’s empowerment is critical to the shelter and the work that they do, but also to our community, making sure that we’re helping other women and reaching out in any way that we can,” said Ramsey.

The Welcome Centre currently has space for 18 women, with families staying in hotels. Proceeds from Pretty in the City will go toward finding the shelter a bigger home.