Women Leading Change at Calvary: Lauren Etti

1. What is your role at Calvary?

“I am the Communications Manager at Calvary Women’s Services. I handle everything from our social media to our emails and other aspects of storytelling that connect our supporters to our mission. Moreover, I work as part of our development team to put together outstanding events that support women rebuilding their lives in our programs.”

2. What does Women’s History Month mean to you in your work at Calvary?

“Celebrating women is something I do every day, and you should too! The achievements and contributions of women have been transformational within our city and globally. Women’s History Month is a chance to shine the light on that work and, more importantly, spotlight women who are behind the scenes of that work. A huge part of our Women’s History Month campaign is to illuminate staff, board members, and other women within our community who are working to ensure that there is both liberation and equity for all women.”

3. How do you use storytelling and communications to uplift and honor the voices of women at Calvary?

“Whenever I sit down with one of our clients or former clients, I ensure that they understand that they have full autonomy over the story they’re telling and the story they want to share with the world. Through storytelling, I can empower them and shape their stories in a way that demonstrates their bravery and success. Women at Calvary are truly changing their lives, and with our communications, it is very powerful that we have the opportunity to show that to the world. Think about a woman who has been in our program after going through trauma, violence, or just so much adversity, and in just 10 months, she can do something many people can’t imagine doing: she has pulled herself out of a dark place and is now living a fulfilling life where she is safe and in control.”

4. What impact do you hope Calvary’s storytelling has on the broader community?

“I hope that Calvary’s storytelling shows the world the truth about homelessness. Also, the gut-wrenching truth is that a lot of the situations that caused people to experience homelessness can be very simple and small issues that can take your life down a completely unexpected path. With that being said, and with women being such a vulnerable population, the community must understand that we need to work to fill in these gaps and advocate for women so women everywhere are not put in these situations, and even if they are, they know that there’s a place that is women-entered and women-cautious that they can go to and transform their life.”

5. Can you share a moment or experience that has stayed with you in this work?

“As I mentioned earlier, a huge part of our Women’s History Month campaign is the women who are behind the scenes. I will share not one moment but rather highlight moments that have made me feel delighted to be a woman that works on my team. I want to use this opportunity to shout out our development and communications team because it is so beautiful to work alongside these women and see how driven and passionate they are about their work. It is always a pleasure to witness us coming together and sharing ideas, and as someone who loves to describe themselves as a ‘creative,’ anytime any of my team members have amazing suggestions that I would’ve never thought of, it truly moves me and just reminds me that that’s the true power of women coming together!

Donate this Women’s History Month by supporting women rebuilding their lives after homelessness.”