Empowering Women NFP, honors women and volunteers during the Empowering Women Spring Gala

Empowering Women NFP, held its Spring Gala and Cultural Fashion Show 2023 on March 19th,2023.

Empowering Women NFP is a Chicago-based 501c3 non-profit providing a wide range of services to Women

Domestic violence survivors. Over 200 guests attended the glittering event at the Four Points Sheraton in Schiller Park, IL. The event was colorful, joyous, engaging, and impactful.

Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza was the guest of honor. She spoke from the heart of the need to help survivors of domestic violence. She noted with pride that her office and the state administration had the State of Illinois now paying bills even faster than private companies. Also in attendance was Nettie Lasko,

Outreach Liaison of the Illinois Attorney General's Office representing Attorney General Kwame Raoul. NSTOP, a church in Rogers Park, and the Maria Bonita Modeling Agency brought elegance and flair to the Cultural Fashion Show. Reflecting the diverse, vibrant communities served by Empowering Women NFP. One of the highlights were the ladies who wore garments they had learnt to stitch in the Sewing Skills

Development Program run by Empowering Women at NSTOP.

The afternoon's goal was to raise funds so Empowering Women can expand its Sewing Skills Development Program to the Woodlawn community on the South Side, and to offer a Digital Skills Development Program as well. Both programs need to expand to accommodate the number of women seeking to sign up.

Founded by Arshia Hasnain 4 years ago, Empowering Women NFP's mission is to break the cycle of Domestic violence against women by providing necessary services in and around Chicago, in a trauma informed and culturally respectful way, meeting the specific needs of underserved communities of color. Survivors are helped to achieve financial independence through skills development. Empowering Women NFP also offers legal assistance, professional counseling, case management, financial counseling, emotional wellbeing services and self-defense techniques, as well as temporary emergency shelter to ensure immediate safety.

The team at Empowering Women reflects the diversity of women they serve. Team members have on average, over 15 years of experience helping empower women. Together, Arshia Hasnain, Stephanie Pelzer, Mumtaz Husain, Farvah Lakhani, Abhi Singh, Sahar Ahmad, Sarah Hussain, Farah Chalisa, Sena Alinco and Diana

Rodriguez, serve a broad range of underserved communities in Chicago including the African American, Latino and South Asian communities, as well as immigrant women. Focus is Chicago's South Side, West Side and Rogers Park. Everyone on the team is trauma-informed and all programs are trauma-centric.