Village of Power

Support emPOWERment: buy from the Village of POWER!

Check out the pictures from our most recent Village of Power Event !

The Village of POWER is a program of the Hill Health Center that provides services to African-American women struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, mental health challenges, HIV/AIDS, or some combination thereof. The program combines substance abuse educational and treatment groups with life stabilization groups, including employment readiness, medical wellness, psychiatric wellness, legal resolution, household management, spirituality, and parenting and emotions management groups.

Growing through Sewing is one of the recovery programs offered at the Village of POWER. The program teaches the women to create a variety of items, including: women’s apparel, hair accessories, jewelry, greeting cards, book marks, personalized embroidered items, T-shirts, tablecloths, bags and clergy garments. The items that the clients create are sold in fundraising events. 60% of the funds generated are directly applied to the housing costs of the clients and may go towards rent, security deposits, utility costs, food or other basic needs. The remaining 40% of profits is used to purchase materials for ongoing projects.

In addition to helping clients develop economic sustainability, the Village of POWER works with clients through case management services to stabilize housing, employment, child care, insurance needs, medical, psychiatric and recovery needs. The program refers clients to needed services, which include medical coverage for themselves and their families, psychiatric services, and HIV and recovery counseling. Clinical services, case management support and the support of peers struggling with similar issues form the hub of the Village of POWER. All services are free and open-ended. Clients are encouraged to utilize the program daily and for as long as they need assistance.

Growing through Sewing empowers the women in a variety of ways. The program not only provides vocational training, but also envelops the women in a world of beauty. The sewing room is filled with vibrant, colorful fabric and spiritual music plays from a tape recorder. Working in this uplifting environment raises the women’s spirits. In addition, the task of sewing helps to reinforce basic recovery principles, including: patience, concentration, focus, finishing tasks, working as a team, problem solving, developing and achieving goals, cultivating imagination and creativity, and stress management.

The program is free of charge and does not require insurance to cover costs of case managers, instructors or wraparound services. It is ongoing and clients can attend for as long as the program is helpful. Clients who obtain jobs are invited to return in the role of graduates/peer mentors and for additional or ongoing support for themselves.

Currently, four clients are working on developing their own entrepreneurial business based on the skills they have learned in the Growing through Sewing program. Please help to support this wonderfully unique emPOWERment program! Call Susan Feldman, Clinical Director of the Village of POWER, at (203) 503-3484 or email her at sfeldman@hillhealthcenter.com if you are interested in purchasing any of our items.