Sharon Holmes was a depressed 19-year-old divorcee with two daughters, one just 2 weeks old, when she forced herself to go to the Women’s Employment Network for job-readiness training.
Today, she’s an assistant vice president at Solutions Bank.
Alies Dalton was a confidence-short former school bus driver on welfare when she turned to the nonprofit agency for resume and interview help.
Today she’s program manager at Della Lamb Community Services — and recently hired another graduate of the network’s training.
The women, two of 5,400 women assisted by the network since 1986, told their stories Friday before a record crowd of 1,200 at the group’s Heart to Heart luncheon.
“It’s enormously rewarding and exciting to see the success of the graduates and their contributions to the community,” said Beth K. Smith, who co-founded the Women’s Employment Network with Marjorie Powell Allen.
The organization’s goal is to help women achieve economic self-sufficiency. It offers employment counseling, a professional clothing bank and licensed case management. It also helps low-income women overcome transportation, child-care, domestic-abuse and health-care barriers.
Anita Maltbia, mistress of ceremonies, noted that network graduates didn’t just help themselves become gainfully employed; they help their children, their extended families and the community.
The annual luncheon serves as the organization’s major fundraiser. Kate Ferrell Banks this year said the Ferrell family would match donations up to a total of $10,000.
For information about the organization, go to www.kcwen. org or call 816-822-8083. The Women’s Employment Network offices are at 720 Oak St.
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