Many Voices, Shared Impact

Partners, donors, volunteers, advocates and friends of the Community Fund for Women & Girls gathered in July for an evening of connection and celebration of the local work advancing their shared mission.

"I've seen firsthand how the investments in women cause a ripple effect that extends far beyond the one individual,” said The Community Foundation President & CEO Karen DuBois-Walton,  as she introduced attendees to organizations serving women and girls in Greater New Haven, including two recent grantees: 4-CT and Dress for Success.

Kaisha Luciano, who was once unhoused and is now pursuing a law degree at Quinnipiac University, shared her transformative experience with Dress for Success, a recipient of the Pathways to Economic Success grant in 2025 and 2026.

“I know how pivotal something like this can be for the next first-generation student who just needs a bit of encouragement with the outfit to match. I've always believed that when you look good, you feel good and you do good. And I still wear my suit to this day,” Luciano said.

“We're not just giving people a handout, but we're giving them a hand up,” said Michelle Artis, Dress for Success director.

The group also heard from Phyllis, a former client of 4-CT, who shared her story about receiving financial assistance:through the organization’s CEO, Sarah Blanton. “Phyllis, a DV survivor, who was homeless, has two children. After six months of being part of another cash transfer program, we were talking about all that's changed in those months,” explained Blanton.

4-CT is a nonprofit organization that launched during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic to help provide direct-cash assistance to those in crisis around Connecticut. The organization has continued on as “those needs persist, shift and increase.” By working with community-based organizations and health centers, the idea is that those organizations “know the community best and know the people who would need support,” explained Blanton.

“Their work shows that investing in women is not only the right thing to do, it is one of the most effective ways to build stronger, healthier, more inclusive, more equitable and more prosperous communities,” said DuBois-Walton.

“It's a beautiful thing to see the way that women show up for women, and I don't just mean as individuals, but as a cause, as a movement,” said Maggie Moffett, advisory board chair for the Community Fund for Women & Girls.