Virtually Empowering Girls Across the Globe

BOSTON, Aug. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- empowerHER®, a nonprofit organization with a specific mission of empowering, supporting and connecting girls and young women up to age 24 who have experienced the loss of their mothers, has learned that out of crisis comes innovation. While many organizations have closed their doors during the pandemic, empowerHER has increased their enrollment by nearly 100% with the launch of cost-free, unique, and inclusive virtual programs.

What initially started in Massachusetts, empowerHER has now opened enrollment to girls across the globe. Today, 400+ girls from across the U.S. and from over ten countries are enrolled. The organization’s shift to virtual events and mentorship is building community in an unprecedented way, reminding girls they are not alone in their grief and offering support from other adult motherless daughters.

empowerHER provides easily accessible virtual events ranging from soul circles and yoga, to journaling events and virtual running programs, as well as a one-on-one mentor match program. Inspirational celebrities and influencers such as Peloton’s Christine D’Ercole, Vanderpump Rules’ Katie Maloney, Instagram Influencer Alexis Ren, and Alli Webb, founder of Drybar, have volunteered their time to host empowerHER events that are life-changing for girls of mother loss.

“Today, the brave, beautiful girls of empowerHER can access our supportive community virtually. After all, girls are at home, online and grieving. We can meet them ‘where they are’ and offer an extraordinary opportunity to finally be seen and heard,” said Cara Belvin, Founder of empowerHER. “My dream was to build community for girls everywhere and recently we started to launch new chapters in the U.S. thanks to the fundraising efforts of countless ambassadors. The global pandemic, however, marks an unprecedented opportunity in the organization’s history to connect girls across the globe who are silently suffering the significant loss of their mothers, a wound magnified for many during the pandemic.”

For instance, empowerHER’s flagship event, an annual all-expense paid Mother’s Day Retreat, was traditionally held in downtown Boston at a 5-star hotel. In response to the pandemic, empowerHER quickly adjusted their strategy and hosted the Mother’s Day Retreat virtually, a first in empowerHER’s history. Since the May Retreat, empowerHER has doubled enrollment and added new content such as yoga, journaling activities, downloadable meditations, and more.

Additionally, empowerHER launched a new initiative, Mother’s Day Luminaria, with plans to host Luminaria events throughout the country on Mother’s Day 2021. Luminaria raised over $45,000 to support the organization’s newly launched virtual programs above and featured more than 1,200 illuminated bags along the Scituate, MA coastline where empowerHER was formed as a grassroots movement in 2013.

empowerHER secured a police detail to ensure social distancing guidelines were followed and, in turn, the local police and fire department concluded the night with a silent parade. A drone video highlight can be found HERE.

About empowerHER
Headquartered in Boston, MA, empowerHER was formed in 2013 by Cara Belvin with a very specific mission—to empower, support and connect girls and young women who have experienced the loss of their mothers. Cara was 9 years old when her mother Kit died of breast cancer and was desperate to meet other girls who could relate to her loss. empowerHER currently serves 400+ girls up to age 24 from across the globe in a series of events that remind them they are not alone in their grief along with a mentor program offering year-round support and all programs and activities are provided at no charge to the family. empowerHER is a true pioneer in children’s bereavement and the only program of its kind. empowerHER operates with a lean staff and hundreds of volunteers. To learn more about empowerHER, visit www.empoweringher.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter.

Media Contacts:
Cara Belvin
cara@empoweringher.org
617-620-9826
Virtually Empowering Girls Across the Globe