Initiative to help women in workforce receives $207K grant from Richard King Mellon Foundation
EmployHER Pittsburgh gives women the support they need for better access to employment.
The organization recently received some backing as well.
A grant of $207,000 from the Richard King Mellon Foundation will be used to continue the development of EmployHER Pittsburgh by providing the aforementioned access to better employment as well as personal development, and education opportunities for women in Allegheny County.
“I firmly believe that if we can help a woman thrive, that in turn, helps her children thrive and the men in her life thrive and the community thrive,” said Tiffany Huff-Strothers, CEO and founder of When She Thrives, based in Western Pennsylvania. Huff-Strothers is a North Side native who lives in Coraopolis.
When She Thrives is dedicated to help single mothers and their families through education advocacy, personal and professional development. The nonprofit collaborated with Dress for Success and New Century Careers to form EmployHER Pittsburgh.
Dress for Success Pittsburgh assists women who are entering and returning to the workforce. New Century Careers is a nonprofit manufacturer and technical skills development organization.
The three were part of the Building Productive Partnerships pilot hosted by Bayer Center and the Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise. They developed an idea in 2020, pitched it to get seed money, and applied to fully fund it.
EmployHER Pittsburgh is unique because it is “encouraging women to identify and define success on their own terms.
A highlight of the initiative is to include jobs that historically haven’t been considered careers for women but should be available to those women who choose that job path. There is also a push to provide sustainable wages for women as well as helping with transportation and childcare so women can focus on education and employment, said Tanya Vokes, CEO of Dress for Success Pittsburgh.
It’s all about eliminating barriers for women and transforming the recruiting and hiring process to include women.
EmployHER Pittsburgh combines the programming of the three partnering organizations for long-term supportive services and greater connections to resources for women in Allegheny County, Huff-Strothers said.
The foundation is eager to support collaborations between organizations such as this, said Sam Reiman, director of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. “Nonprofits can have an even greater positive impact when they work together.”
According to the National Women’s Law Center, in 2020, 2 million women left the workforce because of disparities in childcare, unemployment, wage reduction, inability to work from home, school closures, lack of benefits and others.
This resulted in a one-year loss of $64.5 billion in lost wages as American women have been required to shift their focus to unpaid caretaker positions. In Pittsburgh specifically, 75% of poor households are headed by single moms and two-thirds of those households are Black single moms, according to Smith College.
A 2019 Gender and Equity report commissioned by the City of Pittsburgh revealed the city is one of the worst cities in the country for health and economic outcomes of Black women.
The three organizations plan to reach out to others to add resources and welcome collaborators.
Those interested can email Dress for Success at pittsburgh@dressforsuccess.org.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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