Black Women in Business (BWIB), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating and inspiring businesswomen to excel in leadership and entrepreneurship! The Coronavirus definitely changed the dynamics of our organization, so CEO, Rose Smith, decided to focus on possibilities as oppose to limitations.
As an organization, we are committed to enriching the lives of individuals, families and communities and through this, we developed our COVID-19 Initiative. This program was initially funded out of pocket, and was designed to fight food insecurity by providing free, non-perishable groceries for families in underserved communities; Since the initiative’s conception, we have now had the opportunity to feed an estimated 32,000 individuals to date.
Black Women In Business has planned, organized and implemented a community relief program that provides seniors, individuals with disabilities and families in need with free food and essentials during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Our results have been accomplished with ZERO funding from the city, state or federal government. We truly believe in serving the community by any means necessary!
We currently deliver to the black and brown communities in East Austin (District 1) Monday through Friday. However, we have served families throughout Travis County through our curbside pickup and website requests. Individuals and families receive healthy meals prepared by Joi Chevalier and a team of cooks through a County funded program. They also receive fruits, vegetables, bread, meat and can goods. And, thanks to our community partner, Trader Joe’s, we are also able to brighten their day with beautiful flowers. Most of the people we serve do not have transportation and some don’t even have access to the internet, which makes it difficult for them to hear about most resources during the pandemic. The income level of those we serve are low income and border line poverty. We also partner with small organizations to serve the homeless community.
In the United States, there are 1 in 9 people who struggle with hunger and we believe that no one should go hungry, especially children. Recently I was notified by individuals in the community that there were children who were eating out of trash cans in an East Austin apartment complex and immediately, we began feeding the 130-unit complex the very next day.
We are grateful for our community partners, organizations and businesses that have stood with us by donating funds and/or food so we can continue to fight this cause.
We have had the opportunity to serve people who are often overlooked and misunderstood. We understand that poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and lack of healthy food options are often interconnected when it comes to the fight against food insecurity, and we are committed to making a change for those we are sent to serve.
Our volunteers have worked tirelessly for the last eight months. And, we are dedicated to serving as long as their is a need. Your support is greatly appreciated!
