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PROGRAM · YEAR-ROUND

Women of Influence

Mentorship & Empowerment

Mentorship and empowerment programming that lifts women experiencing crisis or instability in the Phoenix community.

Illustration of a diverse community celebrating and supporting one another
About the program

Women of Influence is Guarded Hope's year-round mentorship and empowerment program, designed for women navigating homelessness, housing instability, domestic violence recovery, or re-entry from incarceration. The program pairs participants with trained community mentors, provides access to workforce development resources, and builds long-term support networks.

Unlike the direct-distribution programs, Women of Influence involves sustained, relationship-based engagement: participants are enrolled in multi-week cohorts and supported through structured goal-setting and accountability partnerships.

TARGET POPULATION

Women aged 18+ in the Phoenix metro experiencing homelessness, housing instability, domestic violence recovery, or re-entry from incarceration. No income verification or documentation required for enrollment.

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

Program activities primarily based in Phoenix. Referrals accepted from partner organizations across the metro.

EVIDENCE OF NEED

Women make up 40% of the unsheltered population in Maricopa County (2023 Point-in-Time Count). Trauma-informed mentorship models have shown 30–45% improvement in housing stability outcomes in peer studies (ICH, 2022).

Service Model

How we deliver it.

1
Intake & Goal Setting
New participants complete an informal intake and work with a volunteer mentor to identify 2–3 immediate goals (employment, housing, legal, health).
2
Cohort Programming
Weekly group sessions covering topics including financial literacy, employment readiness, communication, and self-advocacy.
3
One-on-One Mentorship
Each participant matched with a trained volunteer mentor for bi-weekly individual check-ins.
4
Resource Navigation
Mentors connect participants to partner services: job training, childcare, benefits enrollment, legal aid.
5
Community Building
Quarterly events build peer networks among participants across cohorts.
VOLUNTEER

Mentors commit to 6-month minimum. Training provided. Background check required.

Apply to volunteer
Get Involved

Help us keep Women of Influence running.

Every dollar and every hour goes straight to the field. 100% volunteer-run.

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