She Blooms Event Will Support Program Mentoring Young Women

(KNSI) – A program empowering and mentoring young women is looking for help to grow this spring.

She Blooms is a free inspirational gathering designed to turn women into leaders. It’s a partnership with the Zonta Club and the Women of Worth program based at the St. Cloud Community Outpost. It’s a fundraiser for the WOW program. Guests are asked to bring arts and crafts, beauty products, boots, camping gear, clothing, feminine hygiene products, journals, fishing poles, towels, and winter jackets to the free event. Cash donations are also accepted.

St. Cloud Community Response Team Officer Deborah Ocloo is the keynote speaker and started WOW in 2020. She sat down with KNSI News to explain the program. “This is our fourth year running it. And it serves as a platform for young women as they transition from their youth age into young adults.”

WOW is for girls in eighth through twelfth grade. Ocloo believes interacting with girls at this critical time is important. “Being able to reach these girls at a young age, and help them realize their worth that they have. Build that high self-esteem within themselves, and confidence is a big thing. Have somebody be in their corner and support them and for them to know that they are meant to be somebody.”

The girls in WOW have enjoyed time at Valleyfair, camping in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and hearing from professional women such as attorneys, real estate agents, business experts, and cooks. The events and guest speakers show the girls there’s no limit to what they can accomplish and to be independent.

Officer Lauren Weisser also works with the WOW program and recalls an unusual request from one of the girls on a camping trip. “I remember we woke up one morning, and one of our young girls came up to me, and she goes, ‘Will you make me fettuccine alfredo?’ And I look around, and I’m like, we’re in the middle of the forest; what are you talking about? She was just like ‘please.’ I’m like, no.”

The crew cooked eggs over the fire for breakfast instead. The WOW program is also looking for more girls to join.

The presentation will occur at Jules’ Bistro Event Space in the Regency Plaza on April 11th, starting at 5:30 p.m. Those interested in attending must RSVP by April 4th to veronica.villeneuve@ubs.com

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