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She was pregnant in a homeless shelter. Then this job saved her life.

You've got to learn about The Empowerment Plan.

Jessica West never imagined she could be homeless.

But then she had an unexpected pregnancy. Then she lost her job.

And suddenly, her family was out of options.


West's story isn't all that unique, Veronika Scott, founder of The Empowerment Plan, points out. All it can take is a few setbacks for a person to find themselves in dire circumstances.

“We are not as far away from homelessness as we'd like to think we are. One or two things can happen, and anybody can tip.”

That's where The Empowerment Plan comes in. The nonprofit is helping women who, like West, need a hand-up.

The Empowerment Plan, which is based in Detroit, initially got off the ground when Scott wanted to create coats that could double as sleeping bags for people in her city who were homeless.

Her idea quickly snowballed into something much bigger than that.

"A coat is just a Band-Aid for a systemic issue," she explained in a video produced by Gap. "And what really would have the impact is hiring the population that would need [the coats] in the first place."

Today, The Empowerment Plan employs more than 30 formerly homeless women, including West, who make coats for others in need.

In Detroit, a city grappling with staggering rates of poverty, The Empowerment Plan is helping to change, and save, lives.

To West, working alongside others who've been in her shoes has made a world of difference.

“It was empowering, very empowering, to be around a group of women that knew my struggle," she says. "And to just connect with people on that type of level.”

The Empowerment Plan focuses on helping women find economic stability on their own terms.

"I think women have a really difficult time understanding how valuable they are," Scott explains, noting she, too, has had to overcome challenges being from a family that struggled with addiction."The idea of self-worth is very important to me."

Scott hires women exclusively from local shelters and trains them in areas like sewing, manufacturing, and tech — "whatever [skills] they need to become more independent, and to be proud of their accomplishments, and to be proud of themselves.”

The key, though, is allowing each employee to make the best decisions for herself, Scott says — not by Scott pretending to know what's best for her workers.


“This is not about us saying, ‘Oh, we know better than you,’ or, ‘We’re in a better situation than you, so we know what you need,’" she says. "No, you need to tell us or start figuring out what it is that you want to get to.”

With a job and support system, West can finally look ahead again. And she feels like now she has the world at her fingertips.

Her goal is to go back to school and possibly pursue work that can help The Empowerment Plan — which is aiming to expand into retail soon, thus creating more jobs — continue to grow.

“I know I want to help people and change the world,” she says.

“For me, being one of those people, basically out on the street, it’s like I’m giving back to another me.”

Watch Upworthy's Original Video about The Empowerment Plan below and learn more about the organization here:

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



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Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

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Sybil Marie Hicks, from Baysville, Ontario, died on February 2, at the age of 81, but it'll be a long time before her name is forgotten. Her children have turned her into a posthumous celebrity after writing a hilarious first-person obituary for her that was published in The Hamilton Spectator on February 5, 2019.

According to her daughter, it was fitting tribute.

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Brielle Asero lost her job after 2 months.

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Some who saw the video thought that Asero came off as entitled and exemplified the younger generation’s lack of work ethic. In contrast, others sympathized with the young woman who is just beginning to understand how hard it is to find work-life balance in modern-day America.

“I’m so upset,” she says in the video. "I get on the train at 7:30 a.m., and I don't get home until 6:15 p.m. [at the] earliest. I don't have time to do anything!" Asero said in a video.

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I told a kid a riddle my dad told me when I was 7. His answer proves how far we've come.

This classic riddle takes on new meaning as our world changes for the better.




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"A man and his son are driving in their car when they are hit by a tractor-trailer.

Photo via iStock.

(We were driving at the time, so of course this was the riddle he decided to tell.)

The father dies instantly.

The son is badly injured. Paramedics rush him to the hospital.

Photo via iStock.

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'I can't operate on him. He's my son.'

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