Goal and girl oriented

Lindsay Sandham

Women have come a long way since the first women’s-rights convention

in 1848 and since they gained the right to vote in 1920.

But they still have a ways to go -- there has yet to be a female

president of the United States. In fact, women are a minority in all

facets of the government, and they continue to earn lower wages than

men for the same jobs performed.

The employees and volunteers at Girls Inc. are working hard to

change that by empowering young ladies and inspiring them to achieve

their goals, to not rely on men and to eliminate negative stereotypes

against women.

Kathi Hill and Orleda Roa are facilitators for Girls Inc. of

Orange County, which means they run after-school and lunch programs

for middle school and high school girls, covering topics such as body

image, drugs, alcohol and sexuality.

Hill works at TeWinkle Middle School and Roa works at Estancia and

Costa Mesa high schools.

“The girls come on a volunteer basis,” Hill said. “Every year it’s

a different theme. This year I do body image work, so they learn

about media messages and different eating disorders.”

She said their programs stress being proactive rather than

reactive, by letting the girls interact through discussions and

different activities, such as role playing.

“All of our programs are prevention- education based,” Roa said.

“Just kind of giving the girls a sense of self-esteem and

empowerment, you know, helping them make good healthy choices in

their lives.”

Roa, who grew up in the Costa Mesa area, said the issue of

sexuality was not discussed in her family and she wants to make sure

the girls have all the information they need.

Hill said she tries to share some of the history and struggles of

the feminist movement with the girls.

“I remind them of what my options would have been at age 15 or

16,” she said. “The options for careers are phenomenal compared to

what they were in the ‘60s.”

Hill also does a lunch drop-in at TeWinkle for girls who aren’t

able to stay after school. It is an opportunity for the young ladies

to eat their lunch while discussing what’s going on in their lives,

asking questions or getting help with their homework.

“We encourage the girls to do well in school and go to college,”

Roa said.

Showleh Tolbert, development director for Girls Inc. of Costa

Mesa, said Hill and Roa are extremely dedicated to carrying out the

goals and missions of the organization.

“They’re some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met,” she

said. “They inspire me to go out and raise the money for the programs

that they take to the community. Asking for money is not usually an

easy thing to do, but seeing them in action makes it easier.”

Hill, who has worked at Girls Inc. for more than seven years, said

they have girls who can’t wait to come back and volunteer.

“We see some transitions,” she said. “It’s been very rewarding for

all of us to see changes.”

Roa has been with organization for more than 20 years and said the

girls who come out of the program are generally very well mannered

and have great conversation skills.

Aside from the after-school and lunch programs, Girls Inc. has a

bevy of opportunities for girls ages 5 through 18, including classes

at the facility and a 10-week summer program called Operation SMART.

Girls Inc. of Orange County is a branch of the national

organization, and Tolbert said the majority of the curriculum is

developed nationally, although it can be altered to meet the needs of

each community.

“We’re able to adapt [the program] to work with all girls,” she

said. “Our goal is to inspire all girls.”