When you believe you can fly and you leave no room for fear, then you can soar. That’s exactly what the graduating class at the Every Woman Works Inc. conveyed during the luncheon held at The Lodge at Peachtree Presbyterian Church on Thursday Nov. 17.
Every Woman Works Inc. Learning Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “Helping women to move from dependency to self sufficiency” in a non-threatening and supportive environment.
Their mascot, the bumblebee, is significant. Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly; but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway.
The 30 women in this quarter’s graduating class have overcome addictions to drugs and alcohol, sexual abuse, domestic violence and many other life challenges with the help of the nonprofit.
During the luncheon, there were tearful testimonies of triumph, words of inspiration, including an awe-inspiring spoken word segment by a graduate. The common aphorism between the mistress of ceremony and a guest speaker was: “If God doesn’t light your fire, then your wood is really wet,” because there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
“My heart flows with joy and thanksgiving. I thank you so much for responding to the invitation to come and discover how working together with Every Woman Works we can change lives daily. In the eight years that we have been in existence with the ministry, the Lord has used us mightily. The reason we do what we do is because we are used to answer[ing] prayers of women. Women who were praying that they were sick and tired of sleeping under a bridge, tired of the mental and physical abuse, and God sent them to Every Woman Works,” shares Tillie O’Neal-Kyles, founder of Every Woman Works.
To date, the organization has opened the door to a life of confidence and hope for thousands of women and children in metro Atlanta.
“We have the help of a very diverse, professional and passionate board of directors, a spiritual staff and volunteers. We’ve helped change the lives of over 700 women and positively impacted the future of over 2,100 children,” she offers. –yvette caslin
