- [narrator] for years, "variety" and lifetime
Have teamed up to honor the charitable work
Of hollywood's iconic, trailblazing women.
- I came to every town
Because I just couldn't bear it anymore.
- Education is a basic human right.
- My objective here is to attempt
To inspire young women to find their voice.
- It's so important for us to be here,
To shed light on our dark moments,
And light on the charities that we love so much.
(energetic music)
- [narrator] throughout this hour,
Past power of women honorees
Spotlight the women who inspire them.
- They are so strong, so tough.
- [narrator] the women being recognized
Are changing their communities, from sparking movements...
- Volunteers like myself,
Wake up every day and work to end gun violence.
- [narrator] to helping the most vulnerable.
- The most important thing is just to create
New normality for the children and for the parents.
- [narrator] from turning their pain
Into a dedication to help others.
- I'm sharing my pain with you,
Because I believe that pain has purpose.
That purpose is to help others.
- [narrator] and using their strengths to lift others up.
- We don't want anyone to say anymore that,
"I was the only one."
- [narrator] they are their friends.
- I've never met anyone who cared more about her community.
- [narrator] their loved ones.
- This honor also belongs to my sister, angela,
The ultimate champion for access
And equal opportunity for children.
- [narrator] their heroes.
- You, you saved my life.
- I would love to challenge you to go out there
And have those difficult conversations
With love and empathy, so that we can rewrite
Our own stories and the stories of women.
- [narrator] this is
Variety's power of women:
The changemakers.
(upbeat music)
First, actress and model, priyanka chopra jonas,
Honors yuliia hudz and viktoriia gnap,
Two women working with unicef
To educate ukrainian refugees in poland.
(lively music)
- Is that a puppet?
My name is priyanka chopra jonas,
And I'm a unicef goodwill ambassador.
My relationship with unicef
Goes back almost a decade and a half.
I started as a volunteer with unicef india.
I've always just really been a fan of the organization
For the fact that they are just always around.
And their only intention is the benefit
Of the children of the world.
Aligning with unicef really gave me the opportunity
To feel like I had purpose.
It's the greatest job I've ever had.
- And as the war here grinds on,
An unprecedented number of ukrainians
Have now fled the country.
- [reporter] 2 million refugees have escaped ukraine,
Half of them are children.
- About 70% of the people that fled from ukraine
Came into poland, and poland and the polish government
Has been extremely welcoming to ukrainian refugees.
- An estimated 600,000 children are in poland,
And 2/3 of them are of school-age.
- [priyanka] hundreds and hundreds of schools
Have been bombed, destroyed.
Many children, teachers, have lost lives.
And kids not being able to get access to education,
Especially when they come from active, armed conflict,
Is just a very disorienting feeling.
(mellow piano)
- [child] yay, yay, yay!
(priyanka laughing)
- [viktoriia] the most important thing in this situation
Is just to create new normality for the children,
And for the parents.
New stability, something which is regular
And normal for them.
And actually education is one of the things which is stable,
And which brings children the feeling of stability.
(calm music)
- Hello, viktoriia, nice to meet you.
We would like to welcome you with the ukrainian tradition
With the bread.
- [children] good morning.
- Good morning, dear guests, we all say hi to you.
We're from ukraine,
It's the land of golden fruits and blue sky.
We're really grateful for all the love and people
Who gladly help us and give us chance to be here,
And bringing joy to us.
Our dear foundation, unbreakable ukraine,
Led by viktoriia and unicef.
(group greeting in ukranian)
- [viktoriia] my name is viktoriia gnap,
I am a co-founder of the foundation, unbreakable ukraine,
And I'm also the president of the foundation.
- Viktoriia created unbreakable ukraine,
Which is a summer camp that gives kids a safe space
To be able to meet their peers,
And even formal education when school starts.
But specifically for ukrainian children
By ukrainian teachers in ukrainian.
These are beautiful.
- We are grateful to be in partnership with unicef,
And due to our fruitful partnership,
We're able to provide children with their formal classes.
We're also able to organize summer activities
For over 3,000 children.
Such type of activity is so much in demand
Among ukrainian people, ukrainian mothers,
Because they need to start their life from scratch.
(calm music)
- [priyanka] hi, yuliia, so nice to meet you.
- Hi, priyanka. - Thank you so much.
- Oh my god, thank you for coming
And also bringing your attention.
You know, people like you
Need to see what we are doing here.
My name is yuliia hudz, and I'm from ukraine.
And here I'm working to provide education refugee response.
We established an educational hub,
Which will contribute to access to education
For those children who still continue their education,
As per ukrainian curriculum.
Just to regain the sense of normalcy
After the ugliness that they have experienced.
Educating the youth is the biggest investment we can have.
Children can come, they can learn,
But also we have early childhood development centers
Where mothers can bring their children.
And while they're playing, you know,
And being engaged in any developmental exercises,
Mothers can do their work.
Mm. Okay. Mmhmm.
O.
- O. - O. Mmhmm.
Earlier this year, myself and my son,
We had to flee my country and left my family behind
Just to escape from war.
It became, you know, simply unbearable.
You wake up because of shelling.
You know, you go out and you hear those horrible sounds.
A lot of women are in the same position, I mean,
Most of them, they need to think of their children.
- Have you been able to find adjustment in poland?
(woman speaking ukranian)
- [priyanka] was it difficult when you first came?
(woman speaking ukranian)
- [priyanka] I'm so sorry.
(woman speaking ukranian)
- [priyanka] I know, it's gotta be so scary.
Surviving war is most unnatural,
Especially when it comes to children,
It affects them for the rest of their lives.
Hearing sounds of shelling, guns,
Is not what children should hear.
This is the sound of what children should sound like.
(energetic music)
Jump, jump, jump, woo! (priyanka laughing)
Yuliia, viktoriia, the women on the front lines
Here in poland, they are
So strong, so tough.
They've been through emotionally, physically so much,
But at the same time, they're highly nurturing,
They're loving, they are hopeful.
(applauding)
The strength of women goes beyond survival.
They look at the kids and then they understand
That that's our future, and that's the future of the world.
It's the sacrifice that women with a smile on their face do
That I think makes them most powerful.
(energetic music)
- [narrator] oscar-winning actress, julianne moore
Honors gun-safety activists,
Shannon watts and melody geddis mcfadden,
Of moms demand action.
- I've had the opportunity to March,
And I've met many people who are survivors of gun violence.
These are people who've experienced major trauma.
The idea of that,
Of your family being imperiled in that way,
I think is really galvanizing.
And this is an issue that affects everybody.
Some statistics that people are unfamiliar with
Is that 6 out of 10 gun deaths are suicides.
I think people are reluctant to talk about that stuff.
And I think it's also the issue of domestic violence.
When there is a weapon present,
Women are five times more likely
To be killed in a domestic violence scenario.
I think it's really important for gun owners,
For non-gun owners, for everybody in our country,
To talk about what's going to keep us safe?
What will keep our children safe?
(upbeat music)
- Us cleaning the community,
Us painting a wall, and acknowledging people
Who have passed away from senseless gun violence
Is a victory, y'all.
- Thank you everyone for coming today.
Thank you to all the people here
Who care about saving lives and stopping gun violence.
My name is shannon watts,
I'm the founder of moms demand action.
Volunteers like myself
Wake up every day and work to end gun violence.
- Shannon started moms demand as a facebook page,
The day of the sandy hook massacre.
And from there, it has grown to be
One of the largest grassroots movements in america,
And has affected so much change.
She is consistent in her messaging, she is fearless.
She has inspired millions to follow her.
- No one person, no one organization, can do this alone.
We have to work together and partner with communities
All over the country who are on the frontline
Of stopping gun violence where they live.
Gun violence is so pernicious.
Gun violence is now the leading cause of death
Among children and teens in america.
Over 70 women are shot and killed
By a current, or former, intimate partner
Every single month.
And gun violence disproportionately impacts
Black and brown people in this country.
In fact, black people are 10 times as likely
To be impacted by gun homicide than white people.
And so this is clearly a crisis.
(gentle piano music)
- Thank you so much for having us today,
We know that your grandson, chris,
Has been taken in senseless gun violence.
My name is melody geddis mcfadden.
With moms demand action, I'm a faith outreach lead.
I'd like you to tell us a little bit about chris.
- [angela] chris was just a roundabout person.
He enjoyed joking and making pranks on people.
And he was the joy of the family.
One night, his mom called, she said, "is chris there?"
I said, "no, he's not," I said, "why you asking?"
She said, "because they said there's two people
Done got killed down there on the south side."
I got this feeling in the pit of my stomach,
Just a feeling, a bad feeling.
And I finally got in my car
And was able to drive around there.
When I got down there and they told me he was dead,
I just (snaps) passed out screaming and hollering,
And I just passed out.
Chris, I would give my life for him, and he knew that.
- [melody] but what you did is you gave him a home.
- [angela] yes, I did.
- [melody] you gave him guidance, you gave him love.
- [angela] it's just a mixed bag of feelings.
I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm disgusted, I'm just mad.
- And I understand that tragedy.
I'm a survivor, I've had loved ones taken
In senseless gun violence.
When I was 17 years old, my mother, patricia ann geddis,
Was living with a man that was severely abusive.
The abuser shot her in the head
In front of my little sisters.
When he did that, it changed our lives forever.
I had to find a way to then help raise three little girls,
And I wasn't fully grown up myself.
Eight years ago, my niece, sandy,
Was 22 when she went to myrtle beach.
And while they were there, fights broke out on the beach.
When they were trying to run,
Random bullets were flying.
And sandy patrice geddis barnwell
Was shot one time and she died.
Sandy and my mother were both shot in the head and killed.
Working with moms demand action has been a privilege.
People now know sandy patrice's name,
And patricia ann's name; that to me is a blessing.
It's given me a chance to help others in their memory.
One of the things gets very important to me,
Because I'm a gun owner and I'm a responsible gun owner,
Is safe storage.
It's simple to store your weapon safely.
I don't have a problem being a gun owner
And asking people to be safe.
I have a gun safe, it has multiple ways to get into it,
It's very simple.
You can either use the combination,
You can use the key, or you can use your thumbprint.
If I needed to get in it quickly...
(beep)
How much time did that take? A second.
And it's safely stored. We can do that.
I just want you to not let children, or criminals,
Or those that are a danger to themselves or others
Have access to it.
And if you do that, and you bought your weapon legally
With a background check, please have your weapon,
'cause I have mine.
- Melody's someone I admire
So very much for the work that she does.
It's incredibly moving when you realize
How painful it is to go forward with these issues
When you've had this kind of trauma in your family.
She does this work on behalf of others
So they don't have to suffer the same kind of losses.
- I'm sharing my pain with you
Because I believe that pain has purpose.
That purpose is to help others understand,
That even though that happened to me and my family,
We can still get through.
It's hard out here,
But it's a little easier when we're doing this together.
- [angela] yes, ma'am.
- It just makes me happy when I see those red shirts,
And I know that those folks are coming
Because they don't quit.
They're not gonna go away until senseless gun violence ends.
(calm guitar music)
- [narrator] american ballet theatre principal dancer,
Misty copeland, introduces bianca johnson,
A choreographer and teaching artist,
Dedicated to bringing ballet to a new generation of dancers.
- My name is misty copeland,
I'm the first african american woman
To reach principal ballerina for american ballet theatre
In their 75-year history.
The dance world was not something
That was introduced to me as a young girl.
I'd never seen a ballet, I'd never heard classical music.
A ballet teacher saw me at my local boys & girls club,
And saw potential in me beyond what I looked like,
Beyond the color of my skin.
(calm guitar music)
You don't see yourself reflected on the stage,
Or behind the scenes.
So it doesn't seem like something tangible,
And something that you can really be a part of
And succeed in.
So that has become a part of my life's work.
The misty copeland foundation aims to bring
Greater diversity, equity, and inclusion to dance,
But especially ballet.
The be bold program is the first program
Under the misty copeland foundation.
It is an after-school dance program
That gives a community an opportunity
To share in the beauty and joy of ballet.
(energetic music)
It's really important for me that we are giving
Opportunity to women.
We are setting an example for the young boys and young girls
Who will be a part of the program,
To look at women in a leadership position.
Hi! (laughing)
Bianca johnson is a master teaching artist
For the national dance institute,
And she has been one of my right-hand women
In creating the curriculum.
Well, thank you again so much, both of you, for coming.
- We are gonna work on how to make ballet
Fun, and accessible, and exciting for 8 to 10 year olds.
Yes, they're gonna learn fundamentals of ballet,
But they're also gonna learn that they belong in this space.
Lily and malik will be joining us in the teacher training
And we are gonna be working together with them today
Just to work through some of the be bold curriculum
Movement, and the things that eventually
They're gonna be teaching the young dancers.
I think it's really important for them to see themselves
Represented in you.
In my own experience, I was really the only
Person of color in my, in my school, really.
- It'll be the little things like how I wear my hair.
- [bianca] absolutely. - You know, like I wore,
Like, an afro before, and, like, kids are coming in, like,
"oh my god, you know, like, I love your hair.
You know, you look like me."
- It wasn't until high school, in my high school,
That I had a dance teacher of color.
From then, I started to really, I guess,
Get into myself as a person of color.
So doing that here, and then going out
And teaching that to so many other students,
Will be such a blessing, honestly.
- We don't want anyone to say anymore that,
"I was the only one," that,
"I was the only black person in my class,
That I was the only asian person in my class."
And there's actually a huge community,
And we're gonna show you who those people are,
And let those people inspire you.
- [misty] I've found my voice,
And it was all because of dance.
It was all because of the opportunity
And the access to it,
Which a lot of black and brown people don't have.
I want to take all of my experiences
And contribute in a positive way to my community,
As a black person, and to the ballet community,
To bring more diversity, and equity, and inclusion to it.
- [bianca] you can achieve anything,
You just have to work really hard,
And really safely, and in a healthy way.
And I think that that's something
That dance really teaches you.
And I think the be bold program
Is gonna help young dancers do that.
(upbeat dance music)
- [narrator] tony-winning actress, idina menzel
Spotlights ayodele casel, and torya beard,
Who help young creatives discover their voice.
- When I was a little girl, I was very fortunate,
And I went away to sleepaway camp.
And I sang, and I danced, and I escaped from my life
Where I felt sometimes bullied and misunderstood.
So I really feel like young people,
Especially today, really need that kind of outlet.
And I wanted to find a place as sort of a sanctuary.
- [woman] welcome to a broaderway,
Where all the future leaders come to stay.
Once a year for about two weeks,
The campers have a ton of fun,
And are always smiling with glee.
- I am the founder of an organization
Called a broaderway.
A broaderway started out as a 10-day sleepaway camp.
It has grown in the last 12 years
To be a year-round program, full of camp,
And then an internship program, a leaders-in-training program.
- [ayodele] I'm gonna go forth and conquer.
- [torya] okay.
- Torya beard and ayodele casel,
They pretty much run a broaderway.
They came one day to teach some classes,
And they've never left.
That kind of passion and commitment
Is something that you can't replicate.
- We are at camp a broaderway, 2022.
Hey everybody, good morning.
I wanna tell everyone the schedule.
For the first and second years
Will be a little bit different today.
- [ayodele] tomorrow is the show up.
- I'm the executive director at a broaderway foundation.
I'm involved in everything:
Marketing, fundraising, curriculum, recruitment.
I see myself as, like, a master strategist.
- [ayodele] yes, you are. - And a cheerleader.
- [ayodele] yes, you are.
- Sometimes you have to go low.
Sometimes you have to go high, right?
Think about the dynamics,
That's what's gonna keep it interesting over time.
Yeah.
- I am the co-director of graduate programs
Here at a broaderway.
I work with 14 to 16 year olds,
Getting them into shape for the world out there.
Okay, you ready? D-dun, d-dun, dun dun.
Welcome, the lits, 2022,
With their personal mission statements.
- I believe that we should never stop learning,
And rediscovering the beauty this world offers us.
- I fight for children who just want to go outside
To be with their friends.
- [group] only our voices together
Can break these barriers.
- [torya] and I feel like it's very powerful
When everybody speaks together.
- [ayodele] yeah, these are your words,
So these are things that are in your heart,
Your mind, that you believe.
I always say their identity is their superpower.
I think it's important for you to define who you are,
Because you know, other people will try to do that for you.
- It's about literally becoming authors of their own lives.
It's about them understanding that they have the power
Inside of themselves to write their own story.
- [torya] what kind of feeling do you want to emote-
- Oh, that's good question. - With the ad lib?
- I'm so sick of writing about you.
And now you're just a stranger that I once knew.
- You feel happy with it? - [girl] yeah.
- Yeah? - [girl] yeah.
- I think one of the greatest impacts
Of this program is confidence.
They really understand what self-advocacy means,
What standing in the center of your power means.
And I know that based on the work that they do with us here,
They were going into their schools,
And really advocating for their student bodies.
- [torya] over time, we are making a change in our society.
I feel, deeply, the honor, really,
Of being able to do something with my life,
With this time on earth,
That is going to have impact and is going to far outlive me.
(upbeat music)
- [narrator] actress, laverne cox highlights
The inspiring work of high school social worker,
Shay huffman, who turned her pain into service.
- Over a decade ago, I had written a piece
For "huffington post," and I had expressed in the piece
That I had been threatened by someone.
I was contacted by the anti-violence project
Of new york city.
The anti-violence project works to end
Violence against lgbtq+ communities,
And people affected by hiv.
I went into their offices and they were like,
"are you okay? What can we do
To make sure that you stay safe?"
And after that first meeting,
I was so moved by just their care,
I started working with them.
(phone vibrates)
- New york city anti-violence project, shay speaking.
My name is shay huffman, I am a social worker,
And I am a survivor of intimate partner violence.
Is this the first time you're calling,
Or have you spoken with someone at avp before?
- Shay huffman inspires me so much,
Because shay was experiencing domestic violence,
Reached out and found avp.
And found a supportive environment
Where she could heal,
And then became an advocate for other people
Who were experiencing violence.
- 10 years ago, I didn't see myself in this position.
I didn't even know if I would be surviving.
I found myself in a marriage that was abusive,
Knew I was in trouble and had to find a way out.
I found avp on the internet, I called them,
That was the beginning of my survival.
And could you tell me what happened? And take your time.
Avp has a 24/7, 365-day-a-year hotline,
In english and spanish.
So there is never a time when a person in need calls,
And that call is not answered.
That in-and-of itself is life saving.
And if you would leave now,
Would you have a safe place to go?
It's just giving that person on the other end of the line
The hope, there is life, there is survival.
And not only just survival, but one can thrive,
Which has been the experience with me.
- To have just one person who understands you,
Who believes you, and believes in you, can change your life.
(doorbell rings)
- Hi.
How are you?
- Avp set me up with a counselor, ms. Victoria cruz.
That was my return ticket back to life.
You, you saved my life, you don't know.
She gave me hope,
She gave me everything to hold on to.
- Do you remember what I first told you when I saw you?
- So much of it was a blur.
- "I'm here to help you, but you need to help me,
So you have that power that was taken away from you.
And I'm not here to judge you."
- And that's what I held onto,
I remember that part about not being judged,
And that meant everything to me.
- It's a very brave thing to go and tell some stranger
The most intimate part of life for you.
- [shay] and the light is brighter than it ever was.
- [victoria] yes. - Than I ever hoped it would be.
- You took a chance and you asked for the help you needed,
Which developed yourself into the person you are now
And giving back to society.
- When I say that "avp saves lives,"
That is not an understatement.
They became the bridge to where I am now.
Through avp, I got the gift of finding my passion,
Which is social work.
We're at bronx leadership academy high school.
We are in the southeast bronx, new york city.
I have been here serving our community since November, 2019.
We serve a community that is the most marginalized.
They have faced tremendous challenges,
Both from systemic racism and poverty.
I have seen students walk in here
In tears starting counseling,
And to see them develop skills,
And to see them build resilience,
And to see them smile; that's everything.
- Shay went to the anti-violence project
As a survivor of intimate partner violence.
And emerged empowered, and more healed, and as an advocate.
- [shay] it's been an incredible journey, and boy,
What a gift I've gotten in the process.
The experience with being in a violent
Intimate partner relationship was the darkest,
Most challenging time of my life.
But then you meet other people who are going through
Some of the same issues, and you realize you're not alone.
- She's a blueprint for how all of us can take our pain
And turn that into power and service for others.
(upbeat dance music)
- [narrator] global pop superstar, katy perry
Co-founded the firework foundation with her sister,
Angela lerche, to help build self-esteem in children
Through the arts.
They introduced us to brooklyn molden,
A former camper who is now helping others.
- I am katy perry.
- And I'm angela lerche.
- And we are the founders of firework foundation.
You can see our similarities.
We both have our camp braids.
We went to camp when we were younger,
And that was the first time, I think,
We felt like we were our own person
And found the things that we love,
The passions that we love.
I developed and found my spark
And led me on this incredible journey.
- We started the firework foundation
To empower children from underserved communities
By igniting their light through the arts.
It was kind of like a dream passion conversation
That we'd been having for years.
- We've always been really close,
And we have the same values and the same goals.
She's always kinda been the mom in our family
In a lot of ways, really raising me and my brother.
And so, I think that we always wanted
To pay it forward together
And do good in our community and start locally.
I've been all over the world.
I've seen all the highs and lows,
And we know that the greatest impact we can have
Is starting a, with ourselves, b, our family,
And then c, in our local communities.
We go away to catalina island with
About 75 to 100 middle schoolers.
Most of these kids have never
Either spent a weekend away from their parents
Or been in nature.
- They don't know what to expect.
A lot of 'em are like,
"I don't know if I'm gonna make friends,
If I'm gonna know anyone."
(cheers)
The minute they get off the boat, we're there greeting them.
We do like this tunnel of love as they walk in,
Which is so fun, and just kind of high fivin' 'em.
We have music playing.
- Then we just like go into all kinds of fun activities.
- Yeah.
- [activities leader] firework on three, one two three!
- [all] firework!
- The whole weekend is about young people finding their spark
And building their confidence.
We help develop three different programs for camp,
Design, dance, and songwriting.
- We know that not every kid's
Gonna maybe connect with every form of art,
So it's just giving 'em the different opportunities
To see what sparks something inside of them
On top of being challenged
With something like the ropes course.
- I'll do it, if you'll do it.
- I know you'll do it.
- Well, you'll go first.
- (laughs) absolutely not.
(participants cheer)
- You can do it, you can do it.
- 99% of the time,
When they come down from that ropes course, they're like,
"oh my gosh, I can't believe I did that, thank you so much."
And they're just,
They found a new inner strength and an empowerment in them.
- My favorite thing I did today
Was facing my fear of heights on that swing.
Greatest thing I've ever done in my entire life.
(participants cheer)
- Camp helped me express my feelings through words,
And I feel like that's really hard,
But I feel like it's a skill I really mastered.
So it makes me really excited
To apply that to real life.
I'm super excited.
I would describe camp firework,
As a very cultivating, nurturing experience.
The first time I went, I really found myself, you know?
And so leaving and covid hit,
It was just like very sad,
And I lost myself in a way.
And so, coming back,
And being better is so important to me,
Because it's like at camp,
You're able to just let go and just be you.
- Brooklyn is a camper,
Who came with us our first time in 2019.
Slowly, over the weekend,
You started to see more and more of this girl,
Who was just standing out and becoming.
- Blossoming, feeling.
- She was blossoming, and you could tell there was.
- Feeling safe,
It was a safe place for her to be herself.
- You have angela, who's like this mother of the camp,
Very mom-like, very natural, very down to earth.
And then we have katy, who's kind of a goofball,
An amazing goofball.
She's really funny.
They balance each other out really well.
- Brooklyn just has been a true example
Of a camp firework camper since day one,
And you could tell there was
Like some leadership qualities in her.
- An lit is a leader in training,
Which is like a camper stepping up from being a camper.
I'm digging the bridge that I have
Between a camper and counselor
Because it literally is a different perspective
That I can have.
I wanna enjoy seeing the wonder on campers' faces,
You know, seeing them be happy.
It just creates this, like, nice little cycle
Of becoming someone that gets to nurture
That experience that I had.
- Camp is not a place, it's a state of being, right,
So it's something,
You can take camp with you anywhere you go.
It's not just being here for the weekend,
Like, we want you to take this home with you.
- Stepping into this environment,
Where they're like be you, have fun,
And anything is possible.
It's like every dream that I had rushed at me,
And it's like, it's real.
(upbeat music) (press shouting)
- [narrator] oscar winning actress, halle berry
Celebrates her long-time friend, karen earl,
The executive director of the jenesse center for women.
- I am a survivor of domestic violence.
My mother was abused.
And then when I was about 20 years old,
I lost my hearing in one ear from an abusive boyfriend.
(somber music)
So many people are ignorant
To what domestic violence really is.
And so many people think, well, they should just leave.
They don't really understand what women,
And what our communities are suffering from.
(bright music)
And I've worked with the jenesse center now
For over 20 years.
It's a place of safety where women can come,
And not only feel safe, but they can bring their children,
And they can flourish here.
- I worked for a corporation, and one day, I just left.
I started volunteering in the community.
(gentle music)
- My love, karen.
She's one of my longest standing friendships.
And I told her when I came here, I will never leave here.
I have never met anyone who worked harder.
I have never met anyone who cared more about her community,
Who cared more about women,
And who would put herself on the line to fight for women.
- I started to do my research,
And seeing the impact on what domestic violence really was.
And, you know, figuring out that my mother was a survivor,
And understanding how it impacted my family.
And like, it just became my life's work.
(bright music)
We are with a client from beginning, emergency,
Transitional, permanent housing, employment,
School supplies, work outfits.
- Oh my god.
Karen, this style center, this is one of my favorite parts.
Women are coming here getting ready
For job interviews.
Getting ready to learn how to go on a date
When that starts happening again.
This style center is not at all superficial.
- We wanted to make sure that it was beyond a closet.
Even the detail of jewelry.
Everybody needs some jewelry.
- Everybody needs some jewelry.
- Something.
Necklaces and bracelets can be used
As conversation pieces during their interviews.
(bright music)
- And looking through the eyes of clients
To see a client get her makeup, and hair, and outfit done.
And she going in there looking in the mirror,
One in particular said, "what did you do?"
And she's crying.
And then to see the kids, you know,
Seeing their mother transformed.
It is like beautiful, it's life work.
And it keeps us doing this work.
- And I think as a survivor coming into a shelter,
First of all, look nothing like what I'm sure they think
A shelter life would look like.
I don't think people think that they're gonna get
Clothes like this at a shelter, you know, for free.
I think it's really important that they walk in here,
And they experience how this place makes them feel.
They walk in, and I think they think, "wow, this is for me."
They're feeling valued just by walking in this space.
- Yeah.
- What this space means to me is finally getting
To find yourself, who you were
Before all of the trauma happened.
I was in a unhealthy relationship when I did arrive
At the facility where people were housed.
My first impression was, wow, this is actually a home.
They've put clothes on my back,
Food in me and my daughter's mouth.
They helped me to get back into the employment world.
They've empowered me as a person.
And they're just always there, even for me today,
After they've moved me into my own place.
(gentle music)
- I do believe that when the shelter
Was founded 42 plus years ago,
Some of the things that we do now,
They didn't even imagine it.
We had to decide, we are going to embrace the word, "yes".
And whatever women and children need,
We are going to partner with them to provide.
- They come in broken, they leave here confident.
They leave here ready to face the world.
Ready to be better mothers.
Ready to be better partners in relationship.
Better ready to hold down a job,
And be self-sufficient and independent.
- The women who come here as clients inspire me
With their drive and determination,
And what all they go through to ensure
That the trauma in their lives is temporary,
And that they're gonna ensure that their lives,
And the lives of their children are better.
(bright music)
- The strength of women goes beyond survival,
Beyond being strong.
Women are natural nurturers.
- There's no better person to empower a woman
Than another woman.
- When a group of women stand by one another,
And work together, and believe in what they're doing,
And hold each other up, lift each other up,
They demonstrate great resilience,
And an ability to survive in this world.
- When we empower women, we change communities.
This is just a fact.
- The way women lead is different.
When you're in a community,
Or in a working environment with all women,
We can tap into our strength more,
Because we are not shying away from our vulnerability.
- And we lead with mutuality.
We hold them accountable, they hold us accountable.
(uplifting music)
- Women in particular are so organized,
And so able to multitask, and so focused.
When you put that all together, they're unstoppable.
- It's really important for me
That we are giving opportunity to women.
We are setting an example
For the young boys and young girls.
- Yes, it's overwhelming.
Sometimes I'm very tired and exhausted,
But then what makes me keep moving is going on sites,
And seeing what we did for children.
- Trying to save the world is hard work,
And many days you might wanna give up.
- Sometimes you do feel like it's one step forward,
Two steps back, but I do know that my life is better,
And I have more opportunities
Than my mother did and my grandmother did.
- We're not gonna stop, because moms don't quit.
They don't go away.
- Someone once said to me, you might not see the change.
You might not even hear about the change.
But rest assured that whatever words you impart to this,
Any one person, or whatever work you do,
They'll remember it.
And you may not see it, but they'll carry it forward.
- I am proud to be one of these women.
(bright music)