Girls Rising taking off in Erie County

Get involved with Girls Rising People who want to become part of Girls Rising in Sandusky — whether it's a girl seeking mentorship, a woman wishing to volunteer or someone seeking to donate funds — can do so by: • Calling 858-722-0710 • Emailing ablanc@girlsrisingsd.org • Visiting girlsrisingsd.org SANDUSKY — A successful mentorship program on the West Coast plans to establish roots in the Midwest. Girls Rising want to start its third chapter in Sandusky. It already operates in two California counties: San Diego and Riverside. Meghan Hogrefe, who resides both in southern California and Sandusky, serves as its board president. "It's all about giving girls hope," said Hogrefe, a local developer who, with her husband, Rick, has overseen several successful projects in Sandusky and Bay View. Hogrefe works with Ashley Blanc, the nonprofit's executive director, who lives in San Diego. "We empower girls so that they can see their value and reach their full potential through mentorship," Blanc said. "Impacting a young girl's life is so rewarding. The people that are in our program have created these amazing bonds beyond the program, and everyone is better off because of it." Getting a grasp on Girls Rising Since its founding in 2012, the organization has served more than 500 girls between the ages of 8 and 17. Upon completing the program, about 90% of girls report they're more confident about themselves in their everyday lives. Here's how it goes: • Girls Rising collaborates with those who deal with children in professional settings. This could include teachers, children services workers, faith-based personnel. Those people inform Girls Rising personnel about who could best benefit from mentorship opportunities. • To qualify, girls must meet at least one of the following criteria: — Meet federal poverty guidelines — Have at least one parent incarcerated or removed from the home for any length of time — Live in an underserved/underprivileged community — Attend an underserved/underprivileged school — Provide an explanation on why a mentor would be beneficial • The nonprofit then links professionals who are women with girls. The mentors show these girls values, morals and ethics without preaching, lecturing or simply telling them what's right or wrong. In the past, these people have been nurses, educators, retired professionals and others. They then go on outings together. So how do the girls learn? "We try to give girls guidance through activities and examples," Hogrefe said. "That way, it's more helpful. They are seeing that through experiences." • Girls Rising also puts on various social events throughout the school year, bringing matches together in a group setting for fun activities. "Those events are centered around health and wellness, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), arts and music and always incorporate social-building and character-building," Blanc said. "We also have career days where a wide range of professionals come and talk about different career opportunities." A major component of Girls Rising circles back to instilling confidence in girls with self-esteem issues. "Body image is something that really affects this age group," Hogrefe said. "And we have events to help those who struggle with that, such as a Valentine's Day Love Yourself event, that helps build them up." Why come to Sandusky? By Aug. 1, right before the new school year starts, Hogrefe and Blanc want Girls Rising to start up in Erie County and begin matching professionals with girls who could use guidance. While based in Sandusky, it's open to any girl between 8 and 17 who lives in Erie County. "I see the value this could have for young children and young tweens around here," Hogrefe said. "This program can really merge a gap to give them experiences and exposures." Hogrefe and Blanc plan to speak with area teachers, children services workers and faith-based leaders to find at least 30 girls for this year's program. They're also building up a network of professionals to match up with youth. "We have a pretty in-depth intake process when we work with a parent or guardian or sibling to make sure the match will be right for the girl," Hogrefe said. People can inquire by visiting girlsrisingsd.org or ablanc@girlsrisingsd.org. It's there where people can ask about employment opportunities also make financial contributions. "We are funded only by donations. We don't receive any federal funding," Hogrefe said. "It's just grants and corporate sponsorships and individual donors. But we will be working with nonprofits to make sure this can be sustained for the long term."