UPS human resource employees had an opportunity to spend an afternoon working with Women on the Rise, an organization that supports parenting and early childhood education.

The UPS employees were tasked with applying their own organizational skills to help Women on the Rise keep their current space functional after changing offices. The organization had recently moved from a larger office space to a smaller one due to environmental concerns and lacked the manpower and time to restructure the space. The UPS employees spent the afternoon constructing a library and reading area for both the children and mothers. The volunteers built the shelves for the library and then created an organization system to make supplies easily accessible. The volunteers labeled their tools and equipment including craft supplies, cooking utensils and emergency supplies. As a result of the volunteers’ efforts, Women on the Rise has more functional space and clients can locate items easily.

The goal of Women on the Rise’s parenting program is to empower each mother to become the both the best individual and parent that she can possibly be. The curriculum for the program focuses on developing a social support network and acquiring information on health, parental responsibilities and social issues relevant to their children and their health.

The Early Childhood Education program focuses on providing an educationally-stimulating environment where children participate in age-appropriate activities. Parents are also encouraged to share, learn and model effective strategies relating to their children, which promotes healthy childhood development.

By organizing the office space for Women on the Rise, UPS employees freed time for Women on the Rise staff members to focus on the critical work they do to empower women and families. UPS is a HandsOn Network supporter.

For more information on the HandsOn Network that made this partnership possible, please visit: http://www.handsonnetwork.org