Mariposa Center for Change

http://www.mariposacenterforchange.org

The Mariposa Center for Change is one of the few comprehensive resource centers for women and children of color in Southern California. Following a transnational feminist perspective and using a transformational empowerment model of practice, we provide not only direct services, but also opportunities to engage in social justice and advocacy work that create change in the local and global community. The Mariposa Center for Change is run by a group of like minded women, many volunteer based, that share a long standing history of expertise and experience of over twenty years of activism for women's rights and more specifically, for immigrant and transnational women's rights. 

The Mariposa Center for Change offers a variety of programs, ranging from direct services to social justice and advocacy work. 

Band Aid Program

When you and your family are going through a crisis, the Band Aid program is there to offer immedate respite in the form of a 24-hour hotline, crisis counseling, and referral services. 

Bridges Program

As the crisis comes to an end and the traditional support groups dwindle, the "Bridges Program" offers help and assistance to women and their families as they rebuild. Groups will focus on areas such as:

* Relationships
* Job Loss
* Transitions
* Parenting
* Loss and Bereavement
* Immigration
* Dating Violence (Women)
* Dating Violence (Girls)

Make your MARC Project (Mariposa Adolescents Re-imagining Communities)

With an emphasis on the power of girls and their potential, the "make your MARC" project recruits girls nationwide to participate in a twelve-week leadership institute. Girls will work with women leaders in a number of areas, including public service, media, and social enterprise. The institute will culminate in a keystone project geared to changing their communities. Once completed, participants will have the opportunity to apply for paid summer internships, furthering their leadership development. 

VOICE Project (Voices of Insurgent Community Empowerment)

The VOICE project will bring together community members and writers to begin to gather, record, and publish the insurgent narratives of women. 12 participants will be chose from a competitive application process. More information and applications to follow soon. 

Life Literacy Program

Sometimes how well you do is a matter of understanding the rulebook. This program provides workshops on basic "life literacy" skills. This includes: financial literacy, employment rights (benefit and contract negotiations), conflict resolution, and technology/media literacy

Gender Rights Training

1. A "Know Your Rights" campaign composed of original curriculum material developed by grassroots women's activists. The trainings are tailored to organizational and community needs and are available in 2-day; 2-week; and one-month modules. 

2. In line with creating change, the POWER Project conducts research, builds the knowledge base, and provides an avenue for women's discourse. The project includes the bi-annual journal, "Transnational Women's Organizing," online quarterly newsletters, and a number of issue based publications. Submissions of manuscripts and/or inquiries should be sent to: 

POWERproject@mariposacenterforchange.org