N Street Village Raises $200,000 to Empower Women
This June, the N Street Village held their annual Empowerment Luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. This year’s event theme, “Voices of Village,” highlighted how current and past residents utilized N Street Village to not only change their own life but inspire other women to do the same.
N Street Village strives to empower homeless and low-income women in Washington, DC to claim their highest quality of life by offering a broad spectrum of services, housing, and advocacy in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. With a focus on celebrating women who matter within the N street community, the event raised a nearly $40,000 onsite and roughly $200,000 all together.
Outside of last year’s event that featured Oprah Winfrey’s one million dollar donation, this year’s event was the most successful event on record.
At the luncheon, Executive Director, Schroeder Stribling (above), shared some of her own personal experiences working within the village. Stribling’s stories highlighted the inspiring uplift of the N Street women, echoing how their resilience has galvanized change in her own life. Stribling exclaimed, “We are people who came to give, and then we realize we were the ones receiving.”
She also alluded to last year’s keynote speaker, Oprah Winfrey, in her remarks: “We have been fortunate to have some celebrated visitors in the past few years, including Dali Lama, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Recording Artist Andra Day, Actor and Activist Richard Gere, and Oprah Winfrey. We are all here today, because along with those celebrated visitors, we share the belief that the women of our community matter.”
The 2017 event’s notable guests included DC Councilmember Jack Evans, Kimberly Basset of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office, and presenting sponsors and Board Members Cindy and Mark Aron, Keith Harley of Keith Harley Hair and Scalp Design, and Thomas Dawson of TD&P Consulting.
Some of the organization’s trailblazers such as Sherron Lee took the stage to express how N Street Village radiates healing, hope, and transformation. “It has been 13 years of my sobriety. My biggest hope is to continue my recovery and rebuild my relationship with my children and others that I harmed.” Each year, Lee returns to the 5thfloor recovery unity where she used to work to give back. “That is how I pay it forward, I share what I received at N Street Village with the next woman who will enter looking for recovery.”
To close the event, the N Street women joined together and sang an anthem of empowerment.
These powerful women received a standing ovation from the luncheon audience, a symbol that echoes the N Street Village mission which reminds women, “We see you. We hear you. Your life matters.”
