Celebrating Women’s History Month

Highlighting the incredible women that comprise our Uplift community

Difficult circumstances should not define women. In fact, overcoming adversity is one of the defining characteristics women are celebrated for. At Uplift, we recognize these difficulties and do our best to support the women and children in the midst of these obstacles.  

Stephanie Land, author of Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, publicly detailed the extreme lengths she went to for the safety and security of her children. As a single mother, she skipped meals, faced increasing credit card debt, and endured anxiety for nearly a decade to ensure a better life for her two young daughters. It wasn’t until a publishing opportunity to share her grueling experience that she finally was able to breathe. 

But the experience stayed with her. The feeling of fear and scarcity doesn’t go away easily, even years after escaping poverty. She encourages our communities to listen to marginalized stories with open ears, and more importantly an open heart. In a 2021 essay for Time Magazine, she details what it’s like to live in these extraordinary circumstances. 

“When people ask me how to help, I tell them to ask people what they need. I’m betting the answers are things like tampons and diapers and $10 for gas, because life is so small and short-sighted when you’re so hungry that you can’t demand affordable housing and a living wage.”

This is exactly the goal in mind at Uplift. Stephanie’s story is all too similar to those we hear on a daily basis in our community. Uplift’s purpose is to provide some relief from these extreme moments of uncertainty for the women and children asking for aid. Whether it’s a month’s car payment or some extra support for the next trip to the grocery store, every cent counts and can lead to something life-changing. 

Uplift’s founder and Executive Director, Angie Heuck, shares some insight into this increasing need:

“The women we help support are extraordinary women. They are fighting to stay afloat, feed their children, keep a roof over all their heads - all under incredibly difficult circumstances.”

The women who support our mission at Uplift understand the significance of those who share their vulnerable stories. Our judgment-free, agile-giving model empowers those in our community who need it most to ask for help. Although the women we serve come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, they share a tenacity, a willingness to overcome. 

It’s crucial to listen to stories like Stephanie’s, and the women in our Uplift community, in order to recognize their importance. There will always be women and children facing crisis to serve; their stories equally extraordinary and important. At Uplift, they will never go unnoticed. 

This Women’s History Month, it’s all too important to celebrate these women, their bravery, and all their achievements. It takes immense courage from our grant recipients to ask for Uplift’s support. There’s power in hearing their story. Help us continue to support these extraordinary women at https://www.upliftingwomen.org/donate. 

Together, we truly are better.