More Press for Circle de Luz August 30, 2009
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Thanks to Crossroads Charlotte and writer Rhiannon Bowman for sharing Circle de Luz with their readers.
Bowman’s piece begins…
Rosie Molinary, author of “Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina,” didn’t mean to start a non-profit organization.
But after the research for her book about growing up within two cultures confirmed her intuitions about the struggles the Latinas face, she couldn’t help herself. “I felt that I couldn’t put my head in the sand on this,” she said.
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Campaign to End Teen Pregnancy, Latino students have the highest dropout rates of all races. A third of the Latinas who dropped out of school cited pregnancy or marriage as their reason.
On book tour, teachers would approach Molinary and say things like, “I wish you could talk to my Latinas.” Others would ask, “What can I do to help?”
A former teacher for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Molinary said she knew she wanted to offer mentoring, scholarships and programs for the girls but wasn’t sure how to get started.
So, in March 2008, she gathered her friends and asked for their ideas and support. Many of the women in that first meeting are still on the board of directors for what is now known as Circle de Luz, which means “Circle of Light.”
The organization aims not only to empower girls and encourage their interests, but also to introduce them to people, places, ideas and activities they may not be able to access otherwise.
Check out the rest of the article and Crossroads Charlotte here.
Press for Yoga Matters August 25, 2009
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The Charlotte Observer ran this piece on the Yoga Matters event hosted by Yoga for Life this past Friday to benefit Circle de Luz. It’s by David Perlmutt.
Giving comes in all forms.
For Karen Williams, it comes in forms of bodies twisting and stretching into exotic-sounding postures – for good causes.
Williams owns Yoga For Life, a studio on Morehead Street. Since March, she’s held benefits there on the first and third Fridays to raise money for a different cash-strapped charity.
She calls the events “Yoga Matters,” with participants paying as much as they can afford for a 75-minute class and a talk from a member of the particular organization that is being helped. Williams donates the space. Teachers donate their time – all the proceeds go to the charity.
The next benefit is 6 p.m. today. Yoga for Life has two studios, and there’ll be two teachers for beginning and intermediate students.
“It’s important in the yoga community that we give back,” she said. “What I love about ‘Yoga Matters’ is that it gives back on so many different levels. It gives back to the students. It gives back to the community and to the organizations that are so financially challenged in this economy.”
Today’s benefit is for Circle de Luz, the organization that helps young Latinos in Charlotte through extensive mentoring, programming and scholarship funds for education.
20 Women, 10 Days, 1 Great Cause August 14, 2009
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Have you thought about joining Circle de Luz at some point this summer and just haven’t gotten to it yet? Do you wonder whether or not we really need you?
Starting today, we are beginning a 10 day campaign to find at least 20 more women to make the dreams of at least 5 girls possible, and we could use your support!
Circle de Luz is a circle of women, called M’ijas, who pool their resources over the course of a 6 year commitment to provide a minimum $5,000 scholarship for each of these Latinas to pursue the educational opportunity of her choosing upon her high school graduation. Because Latinos have the highest dropout rate of all racial and ethnic groups we support and inspire them through extensive mentoring and programming from seventh grade through graduation. This fall, we will select the Circle de Luz Class of 2015 from the seventh graders at Ranson Middle School in Charlotte, NC.
Our goal this year is to have 45 women enrolled as M’ijas in the Class of 2015 by August 24, yielding a minimum of 5 scholarships. As of today, we have just 25 women signed up to support 3 spots in the Class of 2015. Without the support of 20 more women, this year’s Circle de Luz class is in danger of not being created! In addition to offering young women a life changing opportunity, there is also an incredible reward for the M’ijas in being involved in this program. Here is what two Class of 2014 M’ijas had to say about their experience:
After watching our Hijas’ confidence level soar after a few months, I realized that with a small investment of my time and talent, I can truly make a difference. I am grateful beyond words for being given this opportunity. Harriet Kessler
Growing up in a Puerto Rican family, I had examples of hardworking women every day; however, no one in my family had gone to college and so I felt that it wasn’t an option for me. I didn’t know how I would pay for it or the steps to take in filling out applications for colleges or pursuing other means of financing an education. I joined Circle de Luz simply because I wanted to provide a young Latina a view of what opportunities there were out there and to guide her along the journey to getting there. Jocelyn Negron-Rios
We need your help in radically empowering these young women to live the lives they have imagined. M’ijas can have any background and can live anywhere. As a M’ija, you make a commitment to donate a minimum of $90 a year for six years (just $7.50 a month!) to the scholarship fund that will support the Class of 2015’s ‘Hijas’. All we need right now is your Letter of Commitment. We then ask that ½ of your year’s commitment be paid by September 15 and the other half by March 15, 2010 (don’t worry, we’ll send you a reminder when the time comes!).
If you are moved to commit, please email us at circledeluz@gmail.com to let us know we are one M’ija closer to our goal of 20 M’ijas in 10 days.
Thank you for helping us radically empower the lives of girls!
Join us for an evening of yoga to benefit Circle de Luz August 13, 2009
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The Circle de Luz girls try yoga at their summer wellness camp.
If you have your own yoga mat, please feel free to bring it, although mats will be provided.
ABOUT CIRCLE DE LUZ
Circle De Luz radically empowers young Latinas by supporting and inspiring them in the pursuit of their possibilities through extensive mentoring, programming, and scholarship funds for further education.
Want more information? Email us at circledeluz@gmail.com.
