August is National Wellness Month, but for thousands of women in Arizona, wellness means more than fitness goals. At Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, it means finding the tools, confidence and resources to rebuild a life.
The Phoenix-based nonprofit serves more than 5,000 women each year, most of them mothers and many survivors of domestic abuse. Others are overcoming generational poverty, re-entering the workforce after time away, or pursuing education they never had access to.
Fresh Start’s free services range from career coaching and job training to financial management and wellness workshops. Offerings include budgeting and credit score improvement classes, digital literacy and interview skills training, nutrition and health basics, and courses in emotional intelligence and setting boundaries. The programs are part of Fresh Start’s Impact Program, which creates personalized pathways to stability in family life, finances, education, health and careers.
“Our work is about wholeness and lasting change,” said Kim McWaters, Fresh Start’s president and CEO. “We understand that you can’t tackle job training without also addressing self-confidence and mental health, or talk about budgeting if someone’s worried about their next paycheck.”
One program graduate, Claudia, a single mother, said the support helped her land a full-time job with benefits. “Now, my daughters will have more freedom,” she said. “They’ll look up to me and think, ‘My mother got herself out of a difficult situation and improved herself from the ground up.’”
To support its work, Fresh Start will host its annual Sip & Soirée fundraiser Sept. 13 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa. The event will feature a curated shopping marketplace, gourmet lunch, live entertainment and personal stories from women in the program. Major sponsors include Valley Toyota Dealers, UMB Bank, Phoenix Raceway and Waymo.
“It’s more than a luncheon,” said event co-chair Alexis Petznick. “It’s a profound opportunity for our community to champion women and celebrate their inherent strength.”
Founded more than 30 years ago, Fresh Start has served over 65,000 Arizona women. Sixty-two percent are single mothers, 67% earn less than $25,000 a year and 68% are domestic violence survivors.
More information on donating or participating in the fundraiser’s online auction is available at freshstartwomen.org/sip.