SACRAMENTO COUNTY – Fourteen women took the stage this week in a milestone moment for Sacramento’s Women’s Empowerment program, becoming the nonprofit’s 100th graduating class. Their walk across the stage was accompanied by cheers, applause, and tears—from the graduates themselves, and from the family, friends and staff who supported them through some of the most difficult chapters of their lives.
Each graduate received a brilliant purple and pink sash placed around her neck by another graduate, a symbol of transition into a new phase of independence and self-determination. For the women who completed the program, the ceremony marked not just a symbolic achievement, but a tangible turning point toward stable housing, employment and healthier futures.
For more than 20 years, Women’s Empowerment has provided women experiencing homelessness with education, job training, childcare and community support. Since its founding, the program has graduated more than 1,800 women, many of whom have gone on to secure housing, employment and continued education.
“This 100th graduation is more than a number—it represents hundreds of women who have taken steps toward stability, confidence and a brighter future,” said Lisa Culp, Executive Director of Women’s Empowerment. “We are honored to walk alongside them as they reclaim their lives and inspire our entire community with their courage.”
The program equips women with skills to overcome barriers ranging from addiction and trauma to domestic abuse and financial instability. Courses in anger management, budgeting, cooking, parenting, resume writing and housing readiness were highlighted by graduates as especially impactful.
One graduate reflected on lessons from the budgeting class, sharing, “They are teaching us how to budget if we want a future – not just a paycheck. We are better now than we were yesterday, and we’ll be better tomorrow – thanks to the love and support this program has given us.”
The ceremony also featured deeply personal speeches from graduates, who recounted journeys through trauma and loss, while now embracing the hope of self-sufficiency and resilience. Stories of addiction and homelessness gave way to dreams of sobriety, stability and permanent housing.
Toward the end of the event, the graduates’ children brought roses to their mothers—a gesture of pride from the program’s childcare team and a poignant reminder of why so many of these women are striving to change their circumstances.
Another graduate closed the ceremony with words that underscored the legacy of the program and its role in breaking cycles of hardship: “Breaking generational poverty, addiction and abuse is the most important thing we can do for the next generation. These children have endured trauma as well. Showing our kids that we are strong, resilient and worth more than the life we currently have – is priceless. This program gives us the power we need to choose a new life – a new path. I now know that I am important. My voice matters. My story matters. And it’s just beginning.”
Women’s Empowerment continues to offer programs that combine counseling, health services, mentorship and job readiness training for women experiencing homelessness in Sacramento. With the 100th class now part of its history, the organization looks ahead to the many more women and families whose lives will be transformed in the years to come.
Copyright © 2025, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
