Over one-hundred women of all ages and walks of life showed up for T-Mo Entertainment’s I Am a Queen: Women’s Empowerment Conference held Saturday at the Guild Theater in Oak Park. Poet and founder of T-Mo Entertainment, Terry Moore, saw a need for more events geared toward the empowerment of women. “We want to offer something intellectual to the working women, single moms and all those ladies who are in pain,” he said. “We want to build them up, feed their souls and get them well.” Angie Harry and her Bravo Dogs crew provided refreshments just outside the theater. Attendees were encouraged to receive a free health scan courtesy of Priscilla Wheeler of Pharmanex. Free massages were also

United Way California Capital Region will make grants totaling $1,168,008 to 13 local nonprofits, United Way president and CEO Steve Heath announced today. Funded partners serve people across Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties and participate in United Way’s projects: STAR Readers, $en$e-Ability and Fit Kids. “All of our funded partners have proven their incredible abilities to produce profound change in our community,” Heath said. “They know how to achieve measurable outcomes on important issues, and we’re excited to see what they do in the very important areas of children’s education, financial literacy and childhood obesity.” United Way’s STAR Readers project is w

SACRAMENTO—Christmas morning will be filled with holiday cheer for formerly homeless women and their children, thanks to Sacramento-area residents who are donating to Women’s Empowerment’s annual Holiday Stocking Drive. The group is seeking stockings and specific fillers for infants and toddlers, children, teens and adult women. For the list of items needed, visit www.womens-empowerment.org. Residents can also make a financial donation and volunteers will then shop and fill the stockings. The average filled stocking costs $30. Items are needed by Friday, Dec. 2, at 1400 North C Street, Sacramento. For more information, contact Courtney Parmer at courtney@womens-empowerment.org or (916) 66

In a survey given to 375 homeless people in 2009 and 2010, the Sacramento Housing Alliance found that 30 percent of the homeless population reported that transportation was the largest barrier to employment and a new program is planned to help. Paratransit’s Mobility Training and Job Search Shuttle for the Homeless, commonly known as Wheels to Work, launched Wednesday morning at the Volunteers of America Family Center, 470 Bannon St. Wheels to Work is a program dedicated to providing homeless and low-income earners with transportation and mobile job training by means of two large vans. The vans are designed to give homeless men and women access to job training and transportation that is

The smell of chocolate truffles, orange cream and strawberries flooded the KVIE commercial kitchen Wednesday morning as Women’s Empowerment graduates were hard at work. Making 1,200 desserts for 550 people was no easy task, but the 10 women took on the challenge with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. The desserts are for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Independence Gala that benefits Women’s Empowerment, a Sacramento non profit that helps homeless women find jobs and housing for their families. The gala is Thursday from 5:30 - 9 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt, 1215 J St. The women worked diligently to make the perfect cheesecake bites from a recipe of one of the graduate’s grea

The 4th Annual Sacramento Homeless Connect event will take place this Saturday, May 21 at Sacramento City College from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. It is hosted by Sacramento Steps Forward, with support from presenting sponsor The Salvation Army. Speakers at the event include Assemblymember Roger Dickinson, Mayor Kevin Johnson and Supervisor Phil Serna. Over 1,000 homeless guests are expected; additionally the event hosts 500 community volunteers and over 60 different service providers. Project Homeless Connect is a national Best Practice model for bringing services directly to homeless folks. Started in San Francisco, it now occurs in over 150 communities across the country. Homeless Connect events

“There are homeless women and children on the streets of Sacramento, and that’s just wrong. Plain and simple,” said Kathleen Barreto, a Women’s Empowerment graduate, at the organization’s ninth annual gala on Thursday night. The gala was held at The Grand, 1215 J st. It was a celebration of independence with a live auction, a silent auction and a raffle. The goal was to raise $90,000 for funding the organization. Women’s Empowerment is a job readiness program for homeless women. They are given the skills and the confidence necessary to get a job, maintain a healthy lifestyle and regain a home for themselves and their children. “Our job is to find jobs for them,” said Lisa Culp, executiv

The homeless will find easy access to all the services they need in one location Saturday, as the third annual Sacramento Homeless Connect returns. The event, held at Sacramento City College, will run from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., offering a variety of resources including free haircuts, bicycle and wheelchair repair, California identification cards, job preparedness and even a barbecue lunch. "Last year we saw 700 people and had 400 volunteers," said Tim Brown, executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward. This year, Brown said he expects to see 800 homeless and about 500 volunteers, due mostly to the increased percentage of homeless. Sacramento Steps Forward is an initiative started to comba

Early Tuesday morning, hairspray filled the air and clothes flew off the racks while women in a fashion frenzy closely studied their figures in full-length mirrors. Laughter echoed down the hallway of the Women's Empowerment building as ladies were transformed into professional divas. The ambiance was similar to a group of friends during a shopping trip. The makeovers were not simply a day at the mall. The event was aimed to prepare formerly homeless women for job interviews. Women's Empowerment is an eight-week program designed to help women ease their way out of poverty.  Although revitalizing physical appearance is part of the process, the three core emphases of the program include fi

 In front of a full-length mirror, a woman twirled around in her white satin ballgown with an excited grin on her face.  Delighted squeals and laughter reverberated throughout the building as women perused the colorful assortment of ballgowns organized on dress racks.  "I love that he is taking pictures of me,  — I feel like a model!" Kim Wesley said as she struck a pose for a photographer.  Tosh Olive, a volunteer and professional seamstress, offered dress adjustments, while volunteers advised on accessories and shoe choices. Wesley, alongside other former homeless women, will take part in the eighth annual Women's Empowerment Gala on Oct. 1st.  Of the 500 people who will attend the gal