Womens Employment Network

TO HELP WOMEN RAISE THEIR SELF-ESTEEM AND ACHIEVE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE THROUGH SUSTAINED EMPLOYMENT.

IN 1986, TWO KANSAS CITY PHILANTHROPISTS AND VISIONARIES, BETH K. SMITH AND MARJORIE POWELL ALLEN, HAD A PROFOUND IDEA OF HOW TO HELP WOMEN HELP THEMSELVES AND THEY WORKED TO FORM THE WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT NETWORK (WEN). WITH THE INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT OF HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS, DONORS, AND DEDICATED STAFF, WEN HAS GROWN FROM A SINGLE CLASSROOM AT PIONEER COLLEGE TO A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN KANSAS CITY. OVER THE LAST THIRTY-FOUR YEARS, WEN HAS CONTINUED TO WORK TOWARD THE MISSION AND VISION OF ITS FOUNDERS AND HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OF WOMEN IN KANSAS CITY. AT NO COST TO THE WOMEN SERVED, WEN HAS GRADUATED HUNDREDS OF WOMEN FROM ITS PROGRAMS WHILE ASSISTING THOUSANDS MORE THROUGH SUPPORT SERVICES AND COMMUNITY REFERRALS. IN THE 2021-2022 PROGRAM YEAR, WEN SERVED: 1,876 UNDUPLICATED CLIENTS, 1,549 OF THOSE BEING NEW CLIENTS. WOMEN WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS TURN TO WEN. DUE TO THE EVER-CHANGING NATURE OF ECONOMIC FORCES, MORE AND MORE WOMEN WALK THROUGH OUR DOORS WITH SIGNIFICANT WORK EXPERIENCE AND WHO HAVE ACHIEVED HIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATION. AS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR CLIENTS SHIFT, OUR EXPERIENCED PROGRAM STAFF MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. HOWEVER, THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF WEN'S PROGRAMMING CONTINUES TO BE UN- AND UNDER- EMPLOYED WOMEN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING POVERTY. WEN RECEIVES REFERRALS FROM AREA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS, THERAPISTS AND COUNSELORS, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND REFERRAL PARTNERS, AND WORD-OF-MOUTH RECOMMENDATIONS. WEN HAS ALSO RECENTLY EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE IN WOMEN WHO FIND OUT ABOUT WEN THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERNET SEARCHES. OUR CLIENTS: 72% OF CLIENTS ARE SINGLE OR DIVORCED, 54% OF CLIENTS RESIDE IN JACKSON COUNTY, 73% OF CLIENTS ARE BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVEL. IN 2021-2022 WEN HAD THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM OUTCOMES: $19.10 AVERAGE HOURLY FULL-TIME WAGE REPORTED (WEN'S GOAL IS $12.75). IN 2021-2022 WEN HAD THE FOLLOWING FINANCIAL COACHING OUTCOMES: 189 FINANCIAL CLIENTS, 34 COACHING CLIENTS IMPROVED CREDIT SCORE, 27 COACHING CLIENTS DECREASED THEIR OUTSTANDING COLLECTIONS. WEN ALSO HOSTED 127 WORKSHOPS WITH 2,485 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE AND PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT REFERRALS FOR 231 POSITIONS. WEN'S FACE TO FACE PROGRAMING WAS INTERRUPTED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WEN WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITION TO A VIRTUAL FORMAT, AS THE CURRENT HEALTH CRISIS AFFECTS WOMEN ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY, WE KNOW THAT THEY NEED US NOW MORE THAN EVER.

WEN ON THE ROAD: DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WEN ON THE ROAD WAS ON HOLD DURING 2021-2022. THE PROGRAM RESUMED DURING 4TH QUARTER OF 2022.