Photo by 627 Photography
I've been around Designed For Joy almost since its inception. I volunteered early on at Sir Walter apartments in Downtown Raleigh, and have since been involved in media campaigns, content creation, and vendor events. After all the craziness of 2020, I knew the DFJ Year of Impact was my next step; an opportunity to make new friends & mentors in a structured environment and to learn about and discuss critical topics, while fundraising for DFJ to expand in its mission.
DFJ's Year of Impact is a team of 25 women on mission together and dedicated to learn more about social injustices such as racial inequality, poverty, prison re-entry, and human trafficking and to share what they learn with their circles while partnering and supporting those local organizations doing the work in those areas.
We are in desperate need or more space to allow for more job.
Just in the first two-hour meeting with this group, I knew this program was going to be transformational for me. I have a lot of blindspots - things and people my privilege has never asked me to consider - but my eyes are opening and my view is widening. The more I learn, the more I want to learn and be an accomplice for change.
The wealth gap was a natural topic in our race equity conversation. I am a beneficiary of generational wealth - money I have not earned, but is labeled mine after an estate closed. I don't know if either of my grandparents were believers, but I know I have an obligation to be a good steward of what has been given to me; it can't stop with me. So I'd like to shift the narrative and rewrite their legacy to include so many others, to promote others' well-being and advancement rather than just my own.
DFJ is already so invested in this work. They are creating opportunities that empower women to enter new spaces and reach for more. Now I have an opportunity in front of me to help them enter a new space - it's a no brainer. DFJ has invested in me, so it is my honor to invest in them. This is a loud and resounding "I'M IN." I want to stand with these women who are invested in their community, in equity, in dignity, in change. Let's keep reaching.
Abigail Roush
DFJ Friend, Volunteer, and Supporter
DFJ Friend, Volunteer, and Supporter
Who We Serve
We serve women who are coming out of situations such as sex trafficking, emergency situations including refugees, generational poverty, homelessness, substance use rehab, or prison. Our women have ranged in age from 20-70. 100% of our clients live below the poverty line. The majority are mothers (67%), and over half are single mothers. Of all women we have served, 58% are BIPOC. Over half our women are homeless or living in a women's shelter (51%).
The need for safe, living wage for Raleigh's most vulnerable women is ongoing. Will you help provide jobs for more women?