Women Thriving initially launched as a program of the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health in 2011, and became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2019. The organization has grown substantially in recent years and is primed for even more growth. Women Thriving boasts an active board, substantial programming, and is recognized as a leading community agency.

2011

Launch of the “Surviving and Thriving” Workshop Series, the signature program which continues to this day.

2014

Community Needs and Assets Assessment
Thirty organizations and over 100 people met through focus groups and interviews. Through their insights, Thriving identified 12 major areas of need for financially-challenged women and girls in Brookline, including: loneliness and isolation, depression and anxiety, health issues, food insecurity, unemployment and need for technology skills, domestic abuse, and information about community resources.

Community Summits
Five gatherings over two years brought together interested citizens, service providers, town agencies, and financially-challenged women to discuss identified needs, share ideas, and begin to organize and work together in focused community Working Groups.

2015

Our Thriving Working Groups were first established: Healthy Food and Lifestyle; Access and Information Sharing; Safety and Healthy Relationships; Education, Training, and Employment; each focused on an identified area of need.

2016

An explosion of new workshop series were developed and shared in Brookline. First offerings for Spanish-speakers begin. Leadership development opportunities include work in community outreach, communications, and workshop facilitation & coordination.

2019

Women Thriving, Inc. was established as a separate 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. New Board of Directors take leadership, comprised of 20 women of different races, cultures, economic, and educational backgrounds.

2020

The Leadership Corps was established in March 2020.

Pandemic Challenge: Finding New Ways to Connect & Thrive
Due to the pandemic, Women Thriving moved all our activities online, offering 25 different workshop series from resiliency skills, pilates, yoga, and Zumba, to poetry, arts, cooking, and parenting. In addition to English, multiple programs were offered in Spanish and Portuguese.