The vision for Girls Incorporated is simple. It was founded in 1957, when three girls were prohibited from joining the city Boys Club. The girls took action, and went to the then-mayor Erastus Corning to ask for help. Fifty-two years later, at the foundation's annual luncheon, Gail Wilson-Giarratano, President and CEO of Girls Inc. recalled the important message the girls carried to the mayor so long ago: "'Us girls, we need a place,'" she said, her voice filling the ballroom crowded with Girls Inc. members and alumnae.
Mayor Corning agreed with the young women, and he established Girls Incorporated, which has been offering fun, educational programming for young women ever since.
The message those "three girls in action" carried to Mayor Corning is as true now as it was then, Wilson-Giarratano explained at Thursday's Girls in Action Fundraising luncheon. In today's stress-filled world, where there is more pressure on girls than ever to become prettier, skinnier, and stronger, they need a safe haven where they can escape from that pressure, and figure out what they want, she said.
To that end, Girls Inc. offers educational programs in media literacy, financial literacy, sports and adventure, health and wellness, as well as homework help. Perhaps most importantly, the clubs offers a safe space for girls to meet with other girls and simply be themselves, she said.
Thursday, one young woman after another took the stage at the Century House and spoke of the important role Girls Inc. played in their lives.
Lisa Simmons, a former police officer and is now a Crime Prevention Specialist at Union College, who was a member of the club in the 1970s spoke about how important it was to have that consistency in her life. "I was a girl who needed a place," she told the room. Marsé Pulley, who just graduated from high school and is just about to embark on her training as a nurse, agreed. For her, Girls Inc. was "a stepping stone to overcoming adversity," Pulley said.
Girls Inc. has two locations, one in Albany and one in Schenectady. These clubs offer vital afterschool programming, as well as workshops and summer camp, but they need financial contributions in order to continue their mission, explained Felix Neals, member of the Board of Directors. Luncheon attendees were encouraged to make a donation using pledge cards distributed at the tables. Neals explained that "there's no right or wrong amount of giving," and that even small amounts help connect girls with services.
People can also help by giving their time, explained Penny Page, Vice President for Development. People can donate their time and skills to the Cornerstone Group, a committee that helps with fundraising, she said. The luncheon program also listed a number of supplies needed by the club in the form of a "wish list." Their wish list includes everything from modeling clay to photo paper, white T-shirts, computer mouses and journals, all of which would be used for programming.
Girls Inc. is located at 25 Western Avenue, Albany. (518) 436-0034. For more information about Girls Inc. of the Capital Region and how you can get involved, please visit their website: http://www.girlsinccapitalregion.org/
Mayor Corning agreed with the young women, and he established Girls Incorporated, which has been offering fun, educational programming for young women ever since.
The message those "three girls in action" carried to Mayor Corning is as true now as it was then, Wilson-Giarratano explained at Thursday's Girls in Action Fundraising luncheon. In today's stress-filled world, where there is more pressure on girls than ever to become prettier, skinnier, and stronger, they need a safe haven where they can escape from that pressure, and figure out what they want, she said.
To that end, Girls Inc. offers educational programs in media literacy, financial literacy, sports and adventure, health and wellness, as well as homework help. Perhaps most importantly, the clubs offers a safe space for girls to meet with other girls and simply be themselves, she said.
Thursday, one young woman after another took the stage at the Century House and spoke of the important role Girls Inc. played in their lives.
Lisa Simmons, a former police officer and is now a Crime Prevention Specialist at Union College, who was a member of the club in the 1970s spoke about how important it was to have that consistency in her life. "I was a girl who needed a place," she told the room. Marsé Pulley, who just graduated from high school and is just about to embark on her training as a nurse, agreed. For her, Girls Inc. was "a stepping stone to overcoming adversity," Pulley said.
Girls Inc. has two locations, one in Albany and one in Schenectady. These clubs offer vital afterschool programming, as well as workshops and summer camp, but they need financial contributions in order to continue their mission, explained Felix Neals, member of the Board of Directors. Luncheon attendees were encouraged to make a donation using pledge cards distributed at the tables. Neals explained that "there's no right or wrong amount of giving," and that even small amounts help connect girls with services.
People can also help by giving their time, explained Penny Page, Vice President for Development. People can donate their time and skills to the Cornerstone Group, a committee that helps with fundraising, she said. The luncheon program also listed a number of supplies needed by the club in the form of a "wish list." Their wish list includes everything from modeling clay to photo paper, white T-shirts, computer mouses and journals, all of which would be used for programming.
Girls Inc. is located at 25 Western Avenue, Albany. (518) 436-0034. For more information about Girls Inc. of the Capital Region and how you can get involved, please visit their website: http://www.girlsinccapitalregion.org/
Girls Inc. Wish List
modeling clay
plaster of paris
beads and string
markers
colored
paper
scissors
pipe cleaners
tissue paper
styrofoam balls
glue
badge kits
photo paper
organizing bins
easel boards
white boards
new volleyball net
exercise flooring
mesh sports
bags
10 compound light microscopes
soldering iron
12 scientific
calculators
bunsen burners
beakers
hot plates
graduated
cylinders
K-nex building kits
leaf blower
breast exam model
various woods for woodworking
t-squares
hand push drills
disposable cameras
writing tablets
2 electric CD players
headsets
journals
sand table/water table
lights for growing
plants
computer mouses
turtle filter
blenders
apple corer
First Aid kit supplies
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