Since the beginning of the pandemic, plans have had to be rearranged, rescheduled and often entirely re-imagined.
Foundation For Youth’s annual Great Girls Wonderful Women benefit was no exception, as the Oct. 20 event was held over Zoom rather than as an in-person luncheon.
However, as planning committee member Ashley Abner noted, sometimes such changes can offer unexpected silver linings.
“This year, as we all know, has created some unique challenges — which, in turn, has brought a lot of opportunity," she said. "And one such opportunity is that we were able to invite all of the sixth-grade girls from [Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.] to join us today. That is increasing the number by hundreds of the girls that get to hear our message today."
Great Girls Wonderful Women is an annual benefit held to raise funds for scholarships for Foundation For Youth programs. Abner said that 100% of the proceeds raised from the event go directly to supporting scholarships for programs that include Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Columbus Youth Camp, Girls on the Run, Trailblazers and youth aquatics.
“FFY kids have had the chance to learn so many skills through FFY’s programs, including cooking, gardening, coding, financial literacy, healthy decision-making, conflict resolution and so much more," said Kimberly Easton, one of the event’s emcees. Easton is the CEO of KEI Connects and the multicultural diversity director for BCSC.
Her co-emcee was Columbus North freshman Caroline Andrus, an FFY teen who has been participating in the organization’s programs since the first grade. It was Caroline’s second year being a co-emcee for the event.
“I have always loved going to FFY," she said. "It has given me so many opportunities, and I have made so many friends with the club members and staff.”
The theme for the 2020 Great Girls Wonderful Women event was resilience. The event included video testimonials from former "Great Girls" who participated in FFY programs.
“Even as a young kid, I was, you know, always faced with a lot of challenges that I had to conquer," said Isha Lipscomb, a former "Great Girl. "And FFY really helped me along the way. They really helped me build that foundation for that resilient heart that I have today."
The event’s keynote speaker was Tiffany Thompson, an author, entrepreneur and educator with a focus on expressive and creative therapy.
Thompson is a guidance counselor at New Augusta Public Academy and adjunct professor at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis teaching play and expressive therapy courses. She is currently working on her doctorate of expressive therapies at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also operates a company called Cre8tive Recovery LLC.
During her address, Thompson encouraged her audience to practice mindfulness, build self-esteem and be bold.
"Always speak your truth," she said. "Speak what is on your mind and what is on your heart. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy. And speak it with truth. It helps bring about resiliency. It helps you to activate the power within when you speak your truth. I know, each day, we are given challenges. And those challenges come. But we’re able to always depend on who? Ourselves.”
Thompson also invited and guided audience participation in activities that included meditation, drawing and listening to empowering music.
"We want you to see that you are powerful," she said. "…In each and every one of us, there is something that matters, and that is a reason why we need to speak our truth. We need to make sure that we always stand for what is right and just. And we need to make sure that we are confident, within ourselves, so that we can continue to be great girls and wonderful women.”
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Proceeds from Great Girls Wonderful Women go to scholarships for FFY programs.
Donations can be made electronically at foundationforyouth.salsalabs.org/2020ggww/. Checks should be made out to "Foundation For Youth" and mailed to Karina Willats at Foundation For Youth, 405 Hope Ave., Columbus, IN 47201.
Donations can also be made by texting the keyword "GGWW2020" to 812-203-2063.
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