When Ms. Nancy’s mother-in-law suggested she enroll in YWCA’s Getting Ahead program; she didn’t know how much would change in her life. Through her participation in Getting Ahead, working with YWCA’s women’s empowerment team and partners, Ms. Nancy connected with local resources; she found the support she needed to assess which of those resources would best meet her needs. Ms. Nancy’s efforts ultimately resulted in getting a car through Working Wheels.    Aminat Bashorun, Getting Ahead Coordinator, thinks of her role as connecting participants to the resources that will help them achieve their goals. Aminat says “Getting Ahead participants are already empowered, they are already motivated.” What they need is help to identify support that is  available to them. Getting Ahead encourages them to “be bold” in accessing resources and to find out what works for them.In Ms. Nancy’s case, YWCA Women’s Empowerment helped her connect with partner organization Working Wheels to buy a car through their Vehicle Purchase Program.  Access to transportation gives Ms. Nancy the freedom and independence to travel to and from work and explore opportunities that can help her move forward, like attending upcoming job fairs. Ms. Nancy, who completed the 16-session Getting Ahead program with the Fall 2021 cohort, is known as a caretaker in her community, and having transportation of her own also enables her to support the people who depend on her.Getting Ahead has a powerful ripple effect. Ms. Nancy learned about Getting Ahead from her mother-in-law, who is also a graduate of the program and is now empowering other women to join. The program’s reach goes far beyond the individual, into the family, and into the community. Strong, resourceful women empower communities, and YWCA’s Getting Ahead program serves our mission to Empower Women and Nurture Families with tangible support and access to resources.  To find out more, click here.