Girls Inc. raised thousands of dollars to support the young women of the Northstate
Girls Inc. of the Northern Sacramento Valley held their annual Glitter & Glam Gala and raised more money than ever before. Money raised will go directly into funding their non-profit that provides support and opportunities for the girls in the North State.
Girls Inc. NSV has been in Shasta and Tehama Counties for 16 years, inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold. KRCR’s Ashley Harting spoke with GI’s Executive Director Heather Kelnhofer who said that GI provides programs to girls in the community.
Kelnhofer says that GI goes from school to school offering 8–12-week programs focused on topics that are relevant and necessary for young women as they navigate through these vital times in their lives. Some of these programs include body positivity, how to be safe when dating, internet safety, alongside many other informative programs that help teach the young girls in the Northstate how to be smart and safe as they grow as children into their teenage and adult years.
These programs provide mentors to these young girls, while some of them don’t have a safe person at home to talk with about these life-changing topics, said Kelnhofer, GI is a safe space for young women to discuss and learn about hot topics like bullying, insecurity, peer pressure, and other difficult topics.
Fundraisers like the Glitter & Glam Gala are what fund GI, allowing them to give back to the community with these informative programs, sponsors and donors from across the Northstate came together and raised enough money for GI to put on 10 new programs in 2023. This allows all these programs and resources to be free to the girls, according to Kelnhofer.
This was the first time GI has been able to put on their Gala since Covid in 2020, but they came back stronger than ever, raising 10 thousand dollars in their silent auction alone.
“This event was an amazing success and truly reinforces how great of a community we live in! Said Kelnhofer, “To see such a strong support for our work within the community makes my heart happy!”
Kelnhofer says they are still waiting to hear back on the final count to know exactly how much money was raised during the gala, but she says she will update us with those final numbers once they are in.