This Women’s History Month, we’d like to highlight a special program at our Family Resource Center, Mujeres Adelante, or Women Moving Forward (formerly known as Chicas de Hoy). Several years ago, we launched Chicas de Hoy to support Spanish-speaking mothers and caregivers who participated in our playgroups and other Family Support Programs and voiced their desire for more opportunities to get together and build community.
Over the years, the program has evolved, led by Family Programs Coordinator Gladys Martinez. Now named Mujeres Adelante, this group meets monthly to talk about their lives, participate in skill-building activities, and share resources with each other.
We sat down with Gladys to talk about the importance of programs like Mujeres Adelante, the ways in which the participants have shaped the program, and their plans for growing the program in the future.
Can you tell us a little about how this program got started?
Well, honestly, this program got started when I was working at another place, which was the North Seattle Family Resource Center. So, when I got more hours at FamilyWorks, [then Executive Director] Jake Weber wanted me to replicate the programs that we were having over there. So, one of them was Mujeres Adelante, and Powerful Voices and GOTR (Girls on the Run), programs like that. So that’s how we got those programs going.
I guess that’s how it started, from an idea from one center, bring it over to the other center. Some of the women that were in that group in the other center followed me to FamilyWorks. And some of them, for instance [long-time participant and volunteer] Claudia, she’s been with me ever since.
So, yeah, that’s kind of how it started. It was just the idea to find the need to empower women and giving them the skills and the tools that they need. Back then it was more about family, empowering them with family and how much the role of a mom and the woman is in the home.
And now it’s evolved to become more about being leaders and shakers of the community. And participants lead workshops now, and stuff like that, skill building. So it has evolved. And now since the name has changed from Chicas de Hoy, I’ve seen an increase in my attendance. The name itself kind of just makes it open to more women, because I did hear a lot of women say, “Well, I thought it was just for teens or something because it’s ‘Chicas’.” So the name change has made a difference for sure. And it’s their group now, so when they come in, it’s more like, “What do you want out of this group? What is it that you want?”
That leads right into my next question, which is how have the women helped shape the program to what it is now?
So basically it’s their group. I’m just there to facilitate what they want to bring in, and of course with some guidance and so on and so forth. But, you know, again, this is a group where we have community agreements that they’ve made themselves, and we have a WhatsApp group, as well. So we don’t only just connect in person once a month. We try to still build that bond by sharing recipes or like, “Hey, what are you guys eating for dinner?” And then we take pictures and we show each other what we’re having for dinner and everything.
So it’s more than just inside the classroom having a workshop and a discussion. It’s more than that.
What does a typical Mujeres Adelente workshop or meeting look like these days?
Well, there’s always food, always. That’s one thing. In many communities, especially with Latino communities, food is a big deal. You know, everything sort of revolves around food. So, I have to have the tamales. I have to have the staples that I have been bringing because I remember one day I didn’t bring that, and they were a little sad, even though they do bring their own food as well. It’s evolved so that everyone will bring something to share, you know.
Another thing that I really enjoy is that the women feel very comfortable and in a safe space where, like, perfect example: last week, we touched upon, like, “How was our first pregnancy? Was it planned? Was it not planned?” All those hard questions for women that sometimes it takes you back to that space in your life where you’re like, “oh my God, I forgot about this,” you know? And there was crying and everything, but there was also healing with that, and everybody was like, “oh my God, this was awesome.” And so they want Norma to come back, who also is facilitating the Prime Time Family Reading program. So she came and facilitated Mujeres Adelante.
So with that being said, you know, Norma was at first, a nanny who came to Playgroup and then after that she became a volunteer. She’s becoming a facilitator and I’ve seen that growth in her as well, even though she wasn’t attending Mujeres Adelante. And now she’s come in and led a workshop.
So that kind of tells you the relationships that we have with women, that they grow and they empower themselves, whether within the group or individually, and then they come back and say, “here’s my gift to you all.” It’s a beautiful thing.
Do you have a favorite memory from Mujeres Adelante so far, or any workshops or meetings that stand out?
I feel like every workshop is something special. Why? I’m not saying, “oh, it’s curated.” No, it’s because of what organically happens throughout the process. We’ll have like for example, a mental health partner or somebody to come in and facilitate. But then we have art sessions, too, like when we decorated windmills and bird houses. And that kind of also gives them freedom of expression through art and in addition to conversations and stuff.
We look forward to that one day a month. And this is why now we’ll stay until 12, it doesn’t end at 11 anymore. So it’s 1:00 pm and they’re still here and I’m still over there because I want to provide that space for them.
Do you or the women of the program have a vision for Mujeres Adelante going forward, or how do you hope it will evolve in the future?
Well, yes. So we spoke last month about like what kind of special project do we want to do this year? Beyond just bringing people into FamilyWorks, we want to go out and do something. In prior years before Covid, we volunteered at a function at the Woodland Park Zoo, a multicultural function. And our group went and volunteered. So that’s the idea like now, what are we going to do? Let’s do something big. Whether it’s going out and getting food to feed folks in the community or do a project again. That’s their idea, so doing something outside. I don’t know what that is yet but yes, we do have that vision and we’ve already spoken about that.
Why do you think it’s important to have programs like Mujeres Adelante at FamilyWorks?
Because, I mean, it’s a part of self-care. It’s a part of creating a safe space. A lot of women and immigrant women here don’t have that. One of our participants, who we contract to clean the Family Resource Center is also now attending Mujeres Adelante, just because I had a conversation with her. And now she’s also coming to the upcoming CPR Workshop. She’s been doing our Cooking Classes and she said last week was that this group has really helped her kind of be outside her box, because before it was just work and her family, work and her family. So now she’s found another community where she feels good. It’s important because you find something, and I feel that also it’s not only this group, it’s also what we offer here, at FamilyWorks. Just the way we welcome people. People really appreciate that. “Hey, do you want some coffee? Do you want some tea? Would you like some water?” That really makes a difference.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I feel like I’m very proud of this group and I want to see it in English. So I’ve talked to Family Resource Center Manager Theresa Williams about doing something like Mujeres Adelante, but for the women who speak English as well. Because I’ve had phone calls like, “oh, what is this about women’s empowerment?” But when I say it’s for Spanish speakers, that makes me feel bad because it’s not only Spanish speaking women that need the support. It’s all women. Of all colors. So I feel that we need to extend this program.
