This is what a leader looks like...

It is hard to put into words the experience of attending and participating in the opening of the Vital Voices Global Headquarters for Women's Leadership in Washington DC this month. The actual realization of the first women's leadership building EVER and being in that space with women and girls from all over the world was an epic experience that almost seemed surreal.

Marching with girls from the White House to the VVHQ and shouting “this is what a leader looks like” and sharing the meaning of “women’s rights are human rights” to a new generation of young people.

Meeting Hilary Clinton and hugging her. Realizing the passing of the torch from generation to generation. Meeting Diane Von Furstenberg and having HER compliment ME on my dress. What?!!!

Teaching sessions on grounding moments in wellness and taking care of ourselves amidst change to women and girls from around the globe. Listening, learning, and being inspired to take action. So proud to be at the table.

As we realize we can take nothing for granted: health, freedom.

Walking hand-in-hand, sisters, as we march through the ever-changing landscape, ready for whatever comes our way, together, a community of visionaries. And in the immortal words of the amazing Madeleine Albreit who help found this amazing headquarters: “there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” And, I might add, those who don’t help humanity as a whole.

A Venture for Marissa

My name is Marissa, and I am a member of the VenturaVie community and manager of V Boutique. My journey with VenturaVie began in December of 2019when I was in my sophomore year of college. By chance, I had received an email from Enterprise for Youth (a non-profit organization that advocates for youth and supports them with internships) with an opportunity to intern at a place called V Boutique for six weeks. At first, I was pretty reluctant because I’ve never had an interest in working with clothing or fashion. However, it wasn’t just any clothing store. It was a non-profit boutique that empowered women and young girls, and that believes in the power of community. Now, that is something I am passionate about. So, I accepted the internship, without knowing what to expect and not knowing what I was going to provide as an intern.

The first day on the job, Victoria and Cheryl Musacchia had me dress up a mannequin for display–just as I feared, I had to be creative. Even though I said I didn’t really think I had what it took to come up with a nice fit, they urged me on and believed in me. I hardly had any faith in myself, but I put an outfit together, and they loved it. Not only did that make me feel more confident, but it made me want to continue to be creative. I worked on arranging the jewelry, neatly folding the scarves, switching up the display window, and of course pricing items. I had a lot of fun in the shop, and I got to connect with other amazing VenturaVie members.

In the past, I never had faith in myself to be a creative person. I never cared about fashion or any other artistic form of self-expression. Working at V Boutique made me realize that being creative isn’t about having a special ability, but it’s about trial and error. And in reality, we all have to be creative in our daily lives, oftentimes, it may not necessarily be expressed in an artistic form. V Boutique taught me much more than the beauty of fashion and self-expression. It taught me how vital it is to support and inspire young people to feel confident in themselves. I was that young girl who had little to no faith in myself, but when I joined the VenturaVie community, that all changed. I grew the strength to realize that I can do anything, and that level of confidence in itself is very powerful. Inspiring young people is the foundation of building a better future, and it’s what I aspire to do. I truly would not be the person I am today without VenturaVie.

Getting up to speed with our friend Cheryl M.

As we have shared in other posts, this past year has brought some unique challenges for VenturaVie's friend and volunteer Cheryl M. You have seen and read her story below. Although she remains displaced from her fire damaged home, she is continuing to inspire people with her Banners of Hope: Fire Flags. Cheryl has sewn some banners with the inspiration from the bonds of sisters and friendship and also some to support the humanitarian crisis happening abroad. She even has beautiful banners made with silk fabric that was donated to her cause. Many people are reaching out to her for customized Fire Flags; one for a new baby girl and individually unique ones for birthdays.

VenturaVie and V Boutique continue to collaborate with Cheryl in getting these fun and meaningful banners out into the community. Please consider a donation to this project to help Cheryl transition during this challenging time in her life and receive your own Banner of Hope: Fire Flag for a minimum donation.

Donate here to receive your Banner of Hope: Fire Flag.