I have been affiliated with Girls Inc. of Worcester for six years. I have watched it grow with new programs and more community involvement over these years. Girls has an incredible staff who are willing to go the extra mile for all girls attending. I have volunteered in many ways to experience the warmth and encouragement given to the girls. I believe they are here to stay.
Lila Weihs, Board Member
I became affiliated with Girls Inc. through my employer UNUM. I chose to Mentor young women from our local high schools through the Girl's Leadership Academy. It was a great opportunity to help these future leaders to develop their business skills, create a personal awareness of appearance and appropriate interaction and problem solving. Watching these young women grow and develop in the program was extremely rewarding. The support and appreciation that I received from Girls Inc made the entire experience worth doing. The efforts that you put forward towards this organization are visual and tangible, everything benefits the girls directly, a Great Organization!!!
I volunteered as a mentor in a Leadership Academy for local high schools girls sponsored through Girls, Inc. It was amazing to see the tangible benefits the girls achieved through participation in this program. The girls gained a level of self-confidence and self-awareness that is difficult to achieve is such a brief period of time. The value was achieved through the quality of the materials produced through this organization and the atmosphere of cooperation and caring that is present in the staff and volunteers that work with this organization.
Girls inc. is a wonderful organization that makes a difference in the lives of girls! It provides a safe and nurturing place to learn and grow with incredible staff who care deeply about every girl! Girls inc. programs develop leadership, confidence and skills that light the path to a bright future for girls in our community
Girls Inc. of Worcester does everything and anything in their power to enrich the lives of young girls in our community. They provide a safe haven and place for girls to grow and become "strong, smart and bold." The organizations programs are first rate, research based ,and powerful. The staff and volunteers of the organizations are amazing and help to improve the lives of these young girls every day!
I have observed first-hand the in-school instruction that Girls Inc. provides. It was a class on Economic Literacy - how to manage one's finances. They did an exercise where they prioritized the importance of various household expenses within a fixed budget, and then discussed the rationale for their choices. Planning for the future and the importance of saving and insurance were discussed as well. The girls responded eagerly to the instructor with questions and anecdotes, and they were able to connect the discussions with real life.
Girls Inc. is a place where girls and young women develop their confidence - in their knowledge (of science, technology, economics); in their physical abilities (basketball, swimming); and perhaps most importantly, in themselves as individuals. This confidence is not given to them - it is intrinsic; it is earned.
Because of the Girls Inc. programs, and the caring and supportive attitude of the staff - from CEO Deb Hopkins on down, these girls are able to stand up for themselves as important, capable and strong individuals. In a world where teen pregnancy, domestic violence, and gender discrimination are so pervasive, we need these qualities in our girls and young women - qualities that Girls Inc. develops and nurtures every day.
As a new board member of Girls Inc. Worcester, I can't emphasize how impressed I've been with the organization as a whole - from the dedicated director, Deb Hopkins, to the wonderful staff and volunteers whose energy and enthusiasm is evident the moment you walk in the door, to of course the girls themselves who radiate the confidence and sweetness of young ladies who are poised to make a positive difference in their community. As an attorney, my involvement with nonprofits has typically been from a legal perspective, so it has been delightful to be involved in a new type of role. The inner workings of Girls Inc. reflect the integrity of its leadership, who live out the mission of the organization - inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold.
I discovered Girls Inc of Worcester when I was searching for an organization whose mission tied closely to that of my company - Leading Women Mass. With more than 140 years of experiences and learning behind the national organization, the local affiliate in Worcester is delivering research-based programs to bolster all girls in the community with the strong, smart, and bold message. The positive outcomes are boldly evident.
Honored to be serving as Board President for Girls Inc of Worcester, I am proud to shout in a strong, smart, and bold voice that "Today's Girls Are Tomorrow's Leading Women".
I used to attend Girls, Inc. of Worcester when I was in middle school. I always drove by and envied the girls that went there, for they always had something positive to say. I finally had the opportunity to go and I absolutely loved it! The staff was wonderful and the girls I met were so friendly! As a young adolescent, it really made an impact on me. I made friends with girls of all ages, was very active with swimming (I loved their pool!) and basketball, and I stayed out of trouble. I loved the experience so much that as an adult, I find myself wanting to give back to Girls, Inc. so they new girls there can have the experience I did.
Girls Inc has served a crucial role in the Worcester community for so many years and has done it well. We have hosted many girls on campus at Becker College for "Bring our Daughters to Work Day," a program that provides workplaces to visit for girls who are unable to accompany parents to work. The administrators at Girls Inc are experienced leaders in the community and the organization is poised for a very bright future!
I got to know Girls Inc several years ago as a volunteer and enjoyed working with both the organization and the girls served. I especially enjoyed watching each girl come out of her shell in her own time and really get engaged and excited about the specific program at hand. The staff has always been extraordinarily helpful in making it easy for volunteers to get involved.