During March, which is Women’s History Month, we at Citizen Scholars are proud to celebrate the work of females, our female Citizen Scholars, and community organizations that support female empowerment.
One such organization is the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing, whose mission is to help women realize their potential. They provide services to anyone who identifies as female, gender fluid, or nonbinary. WCGL is the leading non-profit in the Lansing area providing therapy on a sliding-scale basis without billing insurance so that therapy is accessible to all. And with 97% of women experiencing sexual harassment, accesssble therapy is essential.
WCGL provides many services to the Greater Lansing area, including holding individual and group counseling, offering career and financial development services, supplying women with basic needs packs that include feminine hygiene products, maintaining a take-what-you-need professional clothing closet, and serving as a community advocate for changes that benefit women and LGBTQ+ communities and other minority groups.
Founded in 2005, WCGL has served over 8,500 women in the mid-Michigan area. Now operated by Melina Brann, the organization has remained engaged and flexible during the pandemic while following all CDC guidelines. Even at the height of the pandemic, WCGL was able to continue providing drive-by or walk-by basic needs pack pickup for the women who rely on them.
When the non-profit hosts fundraising events, they continue to uphold their mission of supporting women, whether that’s by hosting female comedians for a stand-up comedy event or hosting the “In Her Cups: Bras for a Cause” art auction to combat stigmas and showcase female artists.
This year for Women’s History Month, director and artist Melina Brann has created coloring book pages of important women from U.S. history. You can find the beautiful pages on the Women’s Center’s Facebook page.
Before joining the CS team, I (Lacie) spent two semesters this past spring and summer working as the social media intern for WCGL, and my time with the organization was invaluable. Not only was I getting experience and learning about my own professional goals, but I was also able to see the impact the organization was making. Director Melina Brann is doing so many great things for women and the city of Lansing, and I’ll always be one of their proudest supporters.
The work that I did, work that was strengthened by what I learned in my Citizen Scholars classes, helped grow WCGL’s Instagram following by 39% over five months. The best part, however, was hearing from those followers about how much the organization meant to them. I was a small part of this big force for change, and that was really special.
If you’d like to learn more about the services WCGL offers, how to get involved, or how to make a donation, visit http://www.womenscenterofgreaterlansing.org/.
– Lacie Kunselman, CS Public Relations Intern