At Ladies of Virtue, we love to serve! Many of our staff and volunteers are from or currently live in neighborhoods where our LOV sisters are from, creating a bond and connection that drives the organization to serve said communities.
We see ourselves as part of the solution.
Our hand is just as strong as our heart. August is Black Philanthropy Month and giving back is what we are all about. We pride ourselves on pouring back into our communities in a multitude of ways. Ladies of Virtue launched on October 1, 2011 with six girls in the Grand Crossing community. Our mission is to instill purpose, passion, and perseverance in girls, ages 9 to 18, while preparing them for college, careers and to become change agents in their communities. Our three pillars of philanthropy are rooted in our mission of supporting young Black girls. We strive to educate, expose and empower our members.
Education
We believe that post-secondary education is the antidote to poverty. We support our young ladies to be prepared for life after high-school (e.g., college, trade school, armed forces) while also providing opportunities to learn about their history and the world around them. We aim to spark a “life-long learner” mindset.
Exposement
We believe that in order to know your purpose, gifts and talents, you have to identify what you love, embrace risk, move past fear and try new things. We expose our young ladies to opportunities where they meet new people, discover new careers and realize personal growth. We are also intentional about exposing our participants to successful mentors who look like the girls we serve.
Empowerment
We believe that our young ladies are not just the leaders of tomorrow…they are our leaders of today. We support their growth by providing project management, collaboration and communication training via our two-month project experiences to empower them to lead – with integrity - in the modern workforce and in their communities.
In addition to internal philanthropic efforts, we also partner with other Black owned organizations such as My Block-My Hood-My City, Growing Home, Girls Opportunity Alliance, and the Obama Foundation to name a few to create spaces and opportunities for our LOV sisters to thrive and connect. Our LOV club alone serves 14 program sites across the Chicagoland area.
“LOV club has become an outlet for girls to create a strong sisterhood while exploring their passions and being exposed to new things.” Kenya Mercer, LOV Club Program Manager.
“Our vision over the next 3 years is to be recognized as the leading mentoring and leadership development program for Black girls in the greater Chicago region, which fosters sisterhood and strengthens families and communities. We plan to serve at least 500 girls annually by 2024” Jamila Trimuel, .LOV Founder. Everyone involved from our staff to our volunteers to our sponsor make everything we offer possible.
To volunteer, sign up here Interested in mentoring? Learn more here. You can also sponsor a lady or virtue, partner with our organization, or donate.
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