Education has always been an important determining factor in the opportunities that will be afforded in the future for an individual. The more highly educated a person is then the more career and life options that open to them. There is also the rippling effect for the society and the community in which individuals live that have educational successes. Foundation for Fortitude is fulfilling a unique niche in an often overlooked, but very essential need in our colleges, our community, and our society as a whole. That is the need for specialized support for young college women.

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The support Foundation for Fortitude offers can make the difference in whether someone stays on the path toward their college degree and emerges empowered, or they get left behind and drop out with college debt, an unfulfilled dream, and fewer opportunities for themselves or for their community. We offer financial support in the form of scholarships to these young women identified as being in need of monetary support with their education, but we don’t stop there.

Many of our young women are first generational college students and that in itself can impose a different emotional and mental strain than other college students will face. To ease the transition we provide mentoring as well as exposure to leaders within the community and their college environment that will give them a strong support system on which to lean and trust both while they are students and later as graduates.

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Other components of our programs provide skills and knowledge to set them up for success and give them a strong step forward within the competitive and demanding career world. We invite guest speakers to address them on social and business etiquette, financial planning, goal setting, and networking skills to name a few. In some instances, we provide one on one mentoring that addresses a girl’s unique needs according to her current skill set and experiences and to help set her on a more secure path toward her aspirations. We also provide hands on events for the young women to give their time through volunteer hours directed toward community needs to allow them to see the direct impact they can make now and into the future by giving back.

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When we help one young woman succeed and give her financial scholarship aid, support of mentors, advice from those that have gone before her, and a successful community network of professionals willing to provide insight and opportunity, then we have made a difference for her, her family, her community, and the world. Our focus is to help many young women, not just one. We are growing and our Board of Directors and generous supporters and volunteers are helping our reach become broader, yet we need more help. Through an increase in donations, monthly contributions to our programs, charitable life insurance giving, selfless volunteers, and participation in our fund raising events we will be able to help more and more young women that need Foundation for Fortitude.

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Make a difference in someone’s future and watch that small ripple you put in the pond make a wave that will change the future. Get involved today – give, plan a charitable life gift, volunteer, and take part in one of our various and professionally executed fund raising events – we need you, they need you, and together we can do more.