We are fundraising to empower women of color!
Thanks you in 2020 with just $1,000 we were able to purchase a laptop computer for our Program Director!
With just $12,000 we can secure part-time wages for our Communications Internship Coordinator. Will you make sure we continue to serve the community?
We were founded in 2009 by current State House Representative Bee Nguyen who wanted to share the joy of sisterhood with teens in metro-Atlanta. As the daughter of immigrant parents, founder Bee Nguyen watched as her father worked two jobs while her mother, with limited English proficiency, raised five girls in an unfamiliar country. Having fled from Vietnam, and after enduring unimaginable hardships her parents always emphasized the value of education and economic independence. Bee soon discovered within herself a talent for entrepreneurship and an innate love for womxn and girls. Combining these passions, Athena’s Warehouse was born to be a safe haven for young womxn facing poverty, and hardships related to their immigrant status.
Our goals are to connect young womxn with professionals from the community. We work diligently to promote empowerment, build self-esteem, and promote economic independence through after school programs. Through education and awareness initiatives we actively reduce at-risk behaviors such as drug usage, teen pregnancy, abusive relationships, and domestic violence. Our program encourages higher education, promotes trade school and career development for sustained economic independence. Moreover, one of our main goals is to provide a safe space for our participants to connect with their peers and adult professionals in fields they wish to explore.
Our objectives include decreasing barriers to accessing higher education, creating a network of support for our participants, and increasing awareness of holistic health practices.
We work primarily with students from Cross Keys High School in Atlanta, GA. One of the most ethnically diverse schools in the metro area with over 90% of students identifying as Latinx or AAPI. This school also has many students who do not speak English as their first language, with many of the students identifying as first or second generation immigrants. Coupled with the majority of students receiving free or reduced lunch. The school is located between North Druid Hills Road and Buford Highway, and has a unique history of financial neglect from the school district juxtaposed by the surrounding increasingly affluent area. This environment breeds champions of hardship and community leaders who fight everyday to overcome financial challenges while exceeding the expectations set by historical narratives.
We benefit the community by providing professional and emotional support to young womxn facing poverty or stresses related to their immigrant status. We do this by ensuring our workshops are presented by womxn of color who are professionals in their respective fields. These womxn who lead our workshops have several years experience in the topics of domestic violence, stress reduction, and health education. We also connect the teens to recent graduates who are closer in age to the participants and can share their success stories with the youth to inspire and uplift any who may doubt that they too can succeed.
We have 1 part-time employee and we do not have a physical office space. Will you help us expand?