Hi, my name is Lexi and I am fundraising for Empower, an afterschool program. Every Tuesday I meet with my fifth-grade buddy, D, at AJ Whittenburg E.S. Since the beginning of the year, I slowly noticed that our one on one mentorship breakfasts were becoming group mentorship breakfasts. Every Tuesday I'd be met with 5 to 8 smiling brown faces, looking to tell me the exciting facts of their week. But I couldn't take that one-on-one time from D. Not being able to meet with all of these girls really highlighted that there was a need. These Black girls need a safe space where they are listened to, focused on, and heard. So much research discusses the school-to-prison pipeline that Black girls are so often shuttled down. Knowing this and seeing the need at D's school inspired me to design Empower. Empower is an after-school program where we discuss life skills, health and wellness, and prepare for middle school. This is the first cohort, but I hope to expand this program beyond AJW. Eventually, I imagine a future where these girls receive dinner, books, and more. For this initial cohort, I am fundraising to get them journals and snacks. The ambition is that each girl can have an Empower notebook, for them to journal, take notes, etc. and receive a healthy snack at every meeting. Over this next semester we have 16 meetings and being able to provide healthy snacks for these girls would be no small feat.

Any amount makes a big difference. Thank you for supporting Empower and investing in Black girls' futures.

With love,

Lexi Hopkins