Community members joined Girls Inc. of Carpinteria staff, board members, girls and alumnae for Cocktails and Conversations on July 29 to commemorate Girls Inc.’s 50th anniversary.
Carpinteria Mayor Wade Nomura, Councilmember Natalia Alarcon, and longtime supporters of the organization, including past board members Clyde Freeman, Sharon Organista and Gail Persoon, were among the guests
“Thanks to the vision and tireless efforts of so many community members, Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is proudly serving hundreds of girls and empowering them to understand, value and assert their rights,” said Jamie Collins, executive director of Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.
“As we celebrate 50 years of providing transformative programming, we are grateful to all of Girls Inc.’s supporters over the years, including the visionaries who founded and helped grow the effort to what it is today,” Collins said.
In 1971, Dorothy Campbell and Sara Ellinwood had a vision to provide programming for local girls whose mothers worked, so they would have a place to go after school. With 10 girls in Campbell’s own home, the Girls Club was formed. The club later moved into a small bungalow on Maple Street and ultimately became Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.
Today, a half century later, the organization serves more than 1,000 youth in the Carpinteria Valley and Ventura County through research-based programs.
Nomura presented Girls Inc. of Carpinteria with a mayoral recognition in honor of the golden anniversary and “its success inspiring healthy, educated, and independent young women in the Carpinteria Valley.”
Following the program, community members were invited to tour the campus with Girls Inc. of Carpinteria alumna and incoming California Lutheran University student Laura Flores; mingle with staff and board members; and learn more about Girls Inc.’s programming.
For more information about Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, call 805-684-6364 or visit www.girlsinc-carp.org.