Join the Work
H.E.R. is a community effort. There are real ways to show up — for the girls, for the organization, and for the Cedar Rapids that's possible when we invest in Black girls early.
How to Show Up
Know a Black girl ages 12–18 in Cedar Rapids who would benefit from Pathways to Power? Reach out. We accept referrals from parents, guardians, educators, social workers, and community members. Enrollment is open and the program is free to participants.
Make a ReferralIf you work in a school, community organization, or residential setting in the Cedar Rapids area, we want to talk. H.E.R. is actively seeking school and community partners to host Pathways to Power cohorts. We bring the curriculum, the facilitation, and the materials — you bring the space and the girls.
Start a ConversationH.E.R. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your donation is tax-deductible and goes directly to program delivery, participant materials, and the part-time staff making this work happen. We are in Year 1 with a lean $55,199 budget. Every contribution matters at this stage.
Make a DonationH.E.R. is new, and Cedar Rapids doesn't fully know we exist yet. If you believe in this work, tell someone. Share our name with a school counselor, a pastor, a colleague, a parent. Word of mouth is how community-rooted organizations grow in their first years.
Get in TouchH.E.R. offers training for educators, social workers, and community professionals on trauma-informed, culturally responsive approaches to working with Black adolescent girls. If your organization is interested in professional development, reach out to learn more.
Inquire About TrainingIf you are a program officer, foundation representative, or funder interested in H.E.R.'s work, we welcome the conversation. Our Business Plan, budget, and program documentation are available upon request. We are building something worth investing in.
Request InformationThe Long Game
Participants who complete Pathways to Power are eligible to become peer mentors. Peer mentors are trained and supported to become facilitators and paid staff. The organization becomes self-reinforcing. The girls who were developed by H.E.R. develop the next generation.
This is not a program that depends on outside rescue indefinitely. It is an organization designed to grow its own roots.
We are building while it is still unclear. Planting while others are watching. The harvest belongs to the girls.
Be Part of ItCedar Rapids, Iowa · (319) 361-0111 · hopeempowermentresilience@gmail.com