Women’s history month is a time to honor women’s contributions to American history. The fact that women have always chipped away at the edifices that surround them is an important lesson to emphasize to every generation of women. Powerful ladies weren’t the result of suffragettes, they’ve always been there, influencing human civilizations and the rise and fall of nations. Modernity hasn’t made women great; women made women great.
RealPage is honored to recognize the achievements of real women who are committed to distinguishing their own lives by making a difference in the lives of others. Meet four women who have made a difference through volunteer work in their communities.
BETTY MOHLENBROCK
As a former classroom teacher, Betty Mohlenbrock has always been committed to improving children’s lives. When she retired after growing a nonprofit serving children of military families to an international level, Betty knew her commitment had to continue. In 2010, she came out of retirement to establish Reading Legacies, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering supportive relationships for at-risk teens and children who have incarcerated parents through the simple act of reading aloud together. By helping to maintain the bonds between children and their incarcerated parents, Reading Legacies works to address the devastating impact of incarceration on children, families and communities. In 2017, Reading Legacies facilitated 8,000 read-aloud experiences among children, teens and other family members participating in its programs. As a result of these read-aloud experiences, the families of children who have participated say that 73 percent of children are enjoying reading more and that nearly 70 percent of them are communicating more with their parents. Every teen who has volunteered with Reading Legacies says that the program strengthened their leadership skills, and 87 percent report an increase in self-confidence. Of the incarcerated parents who have participated, 94 percent have seen a boost in morale and feel more connected to their children at home.
JENNIFER MADDOX
As a Chicago police officer, Jennifer Maddox noticed the majority of crimes and gang-related activities were taking place after school and there were no after-school programs or activities available to the youth in her Parkway community. Despite being a single mother working two jobs, Jennifer set out to provide a haven for the young people in her area, creating an after-school “safe-space” program in 2009 with her own resources for supplies and snacks. As more and more young people began participating, Jennifer expanded her services to help them with school work, using her own money to purchase computers, printers and other supplies. Today, Future Ties provides after-school programming five days per week for about 40 elementary school students in the Chicago Woodlawn area. Adult volunteers and now paid part-time staff (parents), as well as young people from the community, serve as role models and tutors for participants. Since Future Ties was established, the Parkway community now has seen a decline of gang-related activities and vandalism, and a decrease in crime by an overwhelming 50 percent.
HANNAH DEHRADUNWALA
Growing up in Pakistan, Hannah Dehradunwala was accustomed to a culture that never let anything go to waste. When she returned to the U.S. as a student at NYU, Hannah was struck by the amount of excess food that was being discarded after catered on-campus events. After an unsuccessful search for organizations that would help her donate leftover food, she was inspired to create Transfernation, a platform for companies and corporate hospitality groups to donate extra food through on-demand pickups, and provide healthy, fresh food options to those in need of food assistance. The platform uses trusted independent contractors, including ride- share drivers and bike messengers, to pick up leftover catering and deliver it to community-based organizations that then feed hungry New Yorkers. Transfernation created a new pipeline for the rescue and use of much- needed food resources in New York City by empowering community organizations, reducing their overall environmental footprint, and decreasing food waste in the process and with the use of their mobile app, donors are quickly able to donate food to a community in need. To date, through partnerships with 28 contractors and 16 community organizations, Transfernation has rescued 530,000 pounds of food and provided 510,000 meals to those without reliable access to food sources.
ALISHA ZHAO
When Alisha Zhao first volunteered at a family homeless shelter at age 14, she was surrounded by children who shared hopes of becoming dancers, doctors, and even the president of the United States. While these dreams were inspiring, they opened Alisha’s eyes to the unmet needs of youth experiencing homelessness and led Alisha to found the Kids First Project in 2015 to help bridge the gap between a child experiencing homelessness and the resources they need to help them reach their full potential. Through a unique approach that brings extracurricular programs directly to kids living in shelters, Kids First Project offers peer mentoring, physical activities, arts and crafts, tutoring, life skills classes, monthly field trips, and themed programs from puzzle to poetry nights. Kids First Project also supports parents and gives them time to relax, find housing, and focus on themselves through enrichment programs that offer civic and government programs to educate adults about their rights as a homeless individual. Today the Kids First Project serves 10 locations with more than 400 volunteers in the Portland and San Francisco Bay areas – serving approximately 500 families who are experiencing homelessness each year.
In the 1950s, Kay Johnston signed up to play in her local Little League at age 13 under the name “Tubby” Johnston. At the time it was unthinkable for a girl to play on an official team.
Ellaraino experienced a common teenage reaction when she learned she’d have to leave Los Angeles to spend the summer in Louisiana with her great-grandmother in the 1950s, Silvia. Less common was Ellaraino’s realization that Silvia had lived through the Civil War, and had a lot to teach her great-granddaughter about the true meaning of freedom.
Kay Wang was a strong-willed grandmother who was interviewed by her son and granddaughter. Though Kay was reluctant at first, she still had stories to tell—from disobeying her mother and rebuffing suitors while growing up in China to late-life adventures as a detective for Bloomingdales department store. Kay passed away just weeks after that interview, and her son and granddaughter returned to remember her gentler side, which she kept to herself.