At The Fortune Society, Women Rising empowers women to succeed through programming that meets their specific needs as they navigate reentry. The program extends across Fortune’s services, including Employment Services, Family Services, and Behavioral Health Services, offering overarching support and access to vital resources.  

Women Rising provides Fortune women with the tools necessary to succeed, equipping them with skills in effective communication, public speaking, and professional etiquette. While developing these crucial skills, the women in the program also work to build confidence and explore their vulnerability in a safe and comfortable environment.    

This year, Fortune introduced a new seven-week storytelling workshop in partnership with Public Works that encourages participants to practice vulnerability and connect with their community by sharing with others. The current cohort of Women Rising participants have each been working on developing personal stories that they will present at the end of the workshop.

The participating women each identified a specific moment from their lives to share, and during the seven weeks, they crafted these stories with tools offered by the workshop facilitator. They learned specific techniques to build a strong plot and structure the story, as well as other helpful tips to create an engaging story.  

Isis, one of the women participating in the storytelling workshop, shared that she often has stage fright. However, the workshop creates a relaxed and supportive environment for all the women to feel safe sharing their stories. They begin each session with icebreakers, and they share positive feedback and encouragement throughout the session.

The storytelling workshop takes place in the Women’s Lounge, a designated safe space for women in the Fortune community. This inviting environment encourages Isis and many of the other women to embrace their vulnerability as they share their stories.

Delores is another enthusiastic participant in the storytelling workshop. Delores shared that she has always been interested in public speaking and sharing her story; she appreciates the opportunity to amplify her voice and the tools she has learned to hone her storytelling skills.  

“Now that I am in the storytelling class, I feel more comfortable sharing my story,” Delores said. “The craft element is great. We learned about setting the scene, adding stakes or tension, and adding our voice to tell the story.”

Delores has enjoyed getting to know the other women through their stories. Many participating women share similar experiences, and their support for each other is powerful. She is grateful to be a part of the Women Rising community, and to have created lasting relationships with her peers.

On December 17, the women will each present their stories to the Fortune community, marking the completion of the storytelling workshop. The women are excited to present their stories and highlight their work from the last several weeks.   

“This is something I have always wanted to do,” Delores said. “This is important to me, and I look forward to telling other people that story I crafted in the workshop.” 

Workshops at Fortune, such as storytelling, provide a secure environment for women to explore their creativity, express their emotions, and collaborate through critique and editing. The shared experiences of unique challenges faced by women have fostered a strong bond within the group, leading to significant growth in their friendships and in themselves. The upcoming reading, marking the culmination of their work, is just one of the many storytelling workshops to come.