Local Women's Support Group Goes The Extra Mile

During normal times, New Lifestyles Women Empowerment offers support for women in crisis. While that work has continued with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group has also stepped up its engagement in the community.

Using grants from the Greater New Haven COVID-19 Community Fund and The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the community group made wellness packs filled with personal hygiene and other supplies. Volunteers then distributed the packs to people in need on the New Haven Green. The packs included toiletries, masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, washcloths, bleach, and gift cards to Dunkin' Donuts and Stop & Shop.

See more photos by Chris Randall.

The wellness pack distribution is one of the new ways that the organization is carrying out its mission during the times of Covid-19. The organization is also using the grant funding to help support its Women’s Empowerment Workshops, hosted virtually on Zoom every Thursday evening.

New Lifestyles Women Empowerment is a program of New Lifestyles Transitional Housing for Women. It has a mission to use peer mentorship and skill-building workshops to support women facing drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness, reentry into society, and other challenges.

Learn more about New Lifestyles Women Empowerment.

Did you know?

The Greater New Haven COVID-19 Community Fund has awarded grants to 130 organizations since it was created on March 20, 2020. The most recent round of awards was specifically aimed at supporting organizations led by and/or partnering with people of color and/or those living in poverty.

This story is part of the Inspiration Monday story series produced by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.