New Opportunity

School for Women

NEWSLETTER
December, 2017
 Reflections from Interim Executive Director: There is no doubt that 2018 will be another busy and exciting year. We will
have two residential sessions (February 25thMarch 10th and November 4th
Dear Friends, 17th) in Berea and five non-residential sessions in communities throughout the
Its that time of year when I spend my region. We will also host our annual Graduate Leadership Retreat in August
evenings sitting in a comfy chair while and our Graduate Reunion on October 6th. Graduates, please mark your
listening to my favorite Christmas music, calendars and check our newly designed website for more details and
sipping hot tea (or cocoa!), and admiring the application information.
twinkling lights on my tree. It gives me pause
Blessings to each of you and your families this Christmas Season. Happy
to reflect on the many gifts of the past year
2018!
and anticipate what lies ahead in the New
Year. With a grateful heart,
As you all know, this has been a year of Robbie Pentecost
change at the New Opportunity School for NOSW Interim Executive Director
Women (NOSW), which is not uncommon for an organization in its 30th year.
Not only did we begin a one-week nonresidential program in four eastern
Kentucky communities, we also formed many new partnerships with people
and communities throughout the region and became the Promise Zones
89th partner. We have achieved this, and so much more, while also
undergoing a smooth transition in leadership, largely in part to the ongoing
support we have received from our previous Executive Director, Lori Sliwa.
As always, I am grateful for the Vision that Jane Stephenson unveiled in the
formation of this organization and for Lori Sliwas leadership to move this
organization in new directions. I am also grateful for the team of staff
Susan Jordison, who serves as our Operations Manager, and VISTA NOSW Board of Directors
Volunteer Jasmine Newman, along with our contract staff, Tracey Thomas OFFICERS
and Lori Sliwa, who help keep us moving forward with communications and Betsy Whaley, MACED, President
grants. Kenneth Wells, Peoples BankBerea, Treasurer
We could not do this work without our wonderfully talented Lauren VanDerPloeg Skiles (LPA), 03 NOSW Graduate, Secretary
facilitators and session faculty, whose commitment and dedication cause me
to stand in awe. Additionally, we could not do this work without our DIRECTORS
committed and supportive Board of Directors, whose experience, insights, Mary Absher, 05 NOSW Graduate, Community Volunteer
and dedication are true gifts. Of course, we also could not do this work Carla Baumann, Osage Nurse Coaching, LLC
without many of you, our generous donors, volunteers, and partners, who Elizabeth Combs, Wilkes & McHugh
make our programs possible. Michelle Coomes, Community Volunteer
Christie L. Green, Cumberland Valley District Health Department
Most of all, I am grateful for the courageous, determined, and talented
Christi R. Lee, Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc.
women whose lives have enriched ours beyond measure and who
Lora Smith, PhilCap Fund Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
continue to remind us that NOSW is making a difference across
Rodney Wolfenbarger, Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College
Appalachia and Kentucky. Just look at Jennifer Waldens story in this issue
about her amazing work at Berea College.

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 Celebrating Graduates at the Reunion
We cant think of a better way to
finish off the year than by hosting our
annual Graduate Reunion. Reunion is
always an exciting time for staff, as we
welcome graduates -new and old - to
socialize with each other and
community partners over delicious food.
The best part of the event is when we
get to give out scholarships and awards
to our graduates for their many achieve-
ments. This year was no different, and
we are proud to announce the winners
of our 2017 Graduate Reunion awards.
Evan Frankel Award
Women Leading Kentucky Scholarship
Janie M. Polk Scholarship Award
Jane B. Stephenson Founders Scholarship
Woman of Achievement Award (Graduate)
Woman of Achievement Award (Non-Graduate)
In addition to these awards, we also had the pleasure of giving out our
educational scholarships, which are available to graduates pursuing higher
education. We would like to recognize these women for their hard work and
dedication, as they continue to follow their dreams.
Overcoming Barriers and Increasing Reach:
NOSWs Non-Residential Program
In our July 2017 newsletter, we had the pleasure of introducing you to NOSWs
non-residential program. This program, a condensed version of our empowering
residential session, aims to meet women where they are by partnering with
agencies and organizations in their local communities to create a network of
support.
The goal of our non-residential program, which focuses on self-care,
self-esteem, and goal- setting, is to overcome the key barriers that
women cite for being unable to attend the residential program, including child
care and work. By having sessions from 9 am3 pm each day in the
communities where women live and work, they can be home to get their children
off the school bus or can make a plan with their supervisors that allows them to
attend the program and fulfill work obligations.
This year, we worked with community partners to hold five programs in the
Cheryl Matthews
region. As with any new program, there were bumps along the way, primarily
Betty Stevens
related to getting the word out about the program and recruiting participants. But
Jennifer Walden
the road doesnt end here, and we are continuing to work with our dedicated
Debbie Mears
community partners, NOSW graduates, and supporters to develop a strategic
Salina Riley
and intentional plan for next years programming.
Jimmie Lewis
In 2018, we will host at least five non-residential programs in communities
throughout the region. Once our dates are finalized, we will share them widely. If
you, or an organization youre a part of, would like to help bring the program to
your local community, please let us know today. We are always looking for more
partners to help get the word out, provide a lunch, or facilitate educational
classes.

Judith Nealy | Rebecca Rayburn | Cheryl Matthews

Terea Morris | Debbie Mears | Katrina Gragg | Betty Stephens
Debra Collett-Blansett | Jennifer Walden | Rebecca Kidd

Staff and participants of the non-residential program in Laurel County, Kentucky.

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 Jennifer Walden Invited to Speak at
UKs First Womens Conference
In September, NOSW Graduate Jennifer Walden presented at the University of
Kentuckys first annual Kentucky Gender & Womens Studies Conference,
where she shared her NOSW story with a room full of scholars and advocates.
Below is an excerpt from her speech, From Poverty to Empowerment. To read
her full speech, please visit www.nosw.org.
[] In 2013, I was depressed and emotionally unhealthy. With the slowing of
the economy, the quaint coffee shop where I was employed as a barista was
forced to close. The sudden loss of my hourly wages added my family to the
regional and national lists of statistics on food insecurity. While service work
pay rates are some of the lowest in the nation, they do provide a buffer from
missing meals for those who are just above the poverty line and are
considered the working poor.
Since I was the mother of two
young boys, I struggled to find new
employment that would pay enough
to cover child care expenses or be
flexible enough so that I could be at
home to care for my kids after
school. For most of the time that I
was unemployed, I worked hard as
an entrepreneur, producing
vegetables and serving as a vend-
ers at my local communitys farm-
ers market. It got to a point where I
was selling much more produce
from my garden than we were
keeping at home because we were
desperate for the money. It was
hard to reconcile the fact that we
were growing nutritious, organic
food that we couldnt afford to eat
ourselves.
My circumstances fueled an
Jennifer admiring a painting during the unimaginable guilt over not being
2015 February Residential Session.
able to pull my weight financially
PAGE 5 | NEW OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL FOR WOMEN NEWSLETTER
and provide enough income to keep my family comfortable. As an adult
woman, I had read and interpreted societys ques that my value as a person
should be tethered to the amount of income I was able to acquire. In the winter
months when my garden was not producing and there was nothing to sell at
market, I had no income and, as a result, my self-esteem was on the floor. My
ultimate bottom came in December of 2014 when I applied for food stamps but
was denied assistance because my husband made $50 above the monthly
income for eligibility. In the waiting room of the office that day, I came across a
brochure for NOSW, and its mission statement seemed to be speaking directly
to me:
The mission of the New Opportunity School for Women, Inc.
is to improve the financial, educational, and personal
circumstances of low-income, women in the
Appalachian region and Kentucky.
Those words brought hope to my heart for the first time in years, so I applied.
Two months later, I was accepted to take part in a course that would alter my
life.
Please join us in furthering our mission as NOSW partakes in the 2017
GoodGiving Challenge, hosted by the Blue Grass Community
Foundation and Smiley Pete Publishing. The GoodGiving Challenge is
a fun, easy, and powerful way for people to make a difference in
Kentucky. By giving your annual donation through the GoodGiving
portal at www.bggives.org/NOSW, your
support has the chance to go even further
as nonprofits compete for additional dollars
based on criteria such as the total number
of donors, amount donated, matching
donations, and more. To participate in the
GoodGiving Challenge, be sure to make
your gift to NOSW by December 31, 2017!
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