Southwest Florida Community Foundation hosts She Is Me, a Virtual Event by the Women’s Legacy Fund and its Impact Makers

Event is free and open to the public

The Women’s Legacy Fund (WLF) of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation will host its Fall event virtually on Thursday, October 22, 2020 from 8:15 to 9 a.m. This event will feature the work of visually inspiring storyteller, Kinfay Moroti of Hopeful Images.

The event is for contributors to the fund, WLF Prima Donors and any women interested in being inspired and impacting women in our community. The event is free and those interested can register by visiting http://bit.ly/sheismeswfl

“We are inviting all women to grab a cup of coffee and join us as we highlight women in healthcare who are making a difference in the lives of our Southwest Florida community,” said Sarah Owen, President & CEO of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. “The virtual landscape gives us the opportunity to invite more into this space and we’re excited to share how our impact makers and healthcare workers make a difference in our community.”

The virtual event entitled “She is Me” will take attendees on a behind the scenes, day in the life look at the dedicated and inspiring women in healthcare who attended training programs supported by contributors of the Women’s Legacy Fund.

The WLF has an ongoing commitment to workforce development for women and girls. To make a more sustainable impact, the WLF Grants Committee opted for a three-year funding cycle with the School District of Lee County and its Career Pipelines for Women in Health Care program. The second year of the program is currently underway, and the third year of funding will be awarded upon its completion.

The grant aims to remove barriers for women from underserved and underemployed communities so that they may enroll in health science educations courses at Cape Coral (CCTC) and Fort Myers Technical Colleges (FMTC). This will be accomplished by providing gap funding to meet unmet tuition costs and emergency funding to cover unforeseen expenses that could hinder students from attaining their certificates. The project targets the disciplines of Certified Nurse Assisting (CNA) and Certified Medical Assisting (MA) as they have been identified as critical need positions by local health care partners..

Women that successfully complete the programs earn valuable state licenses and industry certifications which guarantee them an interview with Lee Health System and/or Cypress Cove at Health Park.

“CCTC and FMTC staff track student monetary needs and provide a pool of gap funding to help the women cover school-related expenses that are not otherwise covered by state or federal funds,” said Owen. “This is the critical goal to provide gap funding through the Women’s Legacy Fund to help ensure these women are provided the assistance needed to graduate and support our workforce needs.”

About the Southwest Florida Community Foundation

The Southwest Florida Community Foundation, founded in 1976, cultivates regional change for the common good through collective leadership, social innovation, and philanthropy to address the evolving community needs in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Foundation partners with individuals, families and corporations who have created more than 400 philanthropic funds. With assets of more than $134 million, it has provided $83.7 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves since inception. The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s regional headquarters are located in the historic ACL Train Depot at Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers, with a satellite office located in Hendry County. For more information, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com