THE FRAILTY MYTHS’ STORY
Frailty Myths is a dream that began as a group of friends imagining a space for women that was as powerful and supportive as that friendship.
Frailty Myths is a non-profit that offers an array of workshops that train women in traditionally male-dominated activities like welding, construction, climbing, art, and sailing. Each workshop offers hands-on skill building as well as facilitated discussions that examine the learning experience and how societal myths have kept women from actively participating in these spaces. Frailty Myths workshops aim to empower women to recognize and dispel the myths of frailty through dialogue and exploration of our physical capabilities.
Last October, our dream became a reality when we launched the first Frailty Myths workshop series. Within days, over 300 women registered for our first workshop through our website and over 1500 women expressed interest. We have hosted 5 successful woodworking workshops that over 75 women attended and left with not only a step stool they’d made themselves, but also feeling empowered and supported.
So far we’ve done this entire process on our own. Everything that we have created, from the 501(c)(3), to the website and the workshops, has been self-created and self-funded by our leadership team.
We are ready to take the next step and provide these workshops to women across the country– but we need your help. Please donate now. We can’t get there without your help and support and every little bit gets us closer to the world we’re working to build.
THE FRAILTY MYTHS’ IDEA
“By developing her power to the fullest, any woman, from Olympics star to the weekend tennis player, can be a match for any man she chooses to take on. More importantly, she will inherit the essential source of human self-confidence – pride and control over a finely tuned body. That alone would be a revolution.” (“Closing the Gap”, Ms. Magazine 1973)
We believe through our own experiences that when women discover and re-discover their physical capabilities, our bodies and minds become stronger. When we realize we are strong and capable, we also embrace our independence, our leadership capabilities, and our ability to stand up for ourselves and for others.
Frailty Myths’ community women* only workshops are specifically for anyone who identifies as female, trans, or gender non-conforming. We prioritize people from marginalized communities who have the least access to these spaces and skills, including folks who are differently-abled – specifically Black, Brown, and Indigenous women* and those who have been excluded due to other forms of state-sanctioned violence.
We have an over 300 women strong waitlist for our next workshop series. We need your help now to fund these workshops so that we can continue to provide this most necessary service to the community and continue fighting for gender equality! Join the family and sign up to be a monthly sustaining member now.
Caption: The Frailty Myths Woodworking Workshop: Our workshops have allowed women the space to explore an introduction into power tools and construction materials, take home something that they have constructed during our afternoon together, and have a group conversation about the societal myths surrounding femininity, frailty, strength, and power.
FRAILTY MYTHS’ 2017 GOAL
This fundraiser will fund the first three months of Frailty Myths by providing seven workshops, one full time Frailty Myths staffer, and over 200 women exploring their strength and smashing the myths of frailty together.
Our goal for 2017 is to do even more and reach over 700 women by hosting 24 workshops and community events that are accessible to all women, with a focus on low-income and marginalized communities.
ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS ARE DONATION-BASED. NO ONE WILL EVER BE TURNED AWAY FROM A FRAILTY MYTHS WORKSHOP FOR A LACK OF FUNDS.
This will only be possible with the generous funding of people like you. Together we can smash the myth of frailty.
2017 Goals:
- Reach 700 women through 24 free workshops and three (3) community events
- Two (2) workshops per month. Workshops TBA will be located in either Oakland, New York, or Washington D.C.
- Three (3) Frailty Myths community events held in either Oakland, New York, or Washington D.C.
- Tool/Material library for Frailty Myths workshops
- One full-time Frailty Myths staff member
Your donation goes directly to funding these workshops and allowing women to participate in spaces that they have been traditionally kept out of. By becoming a sustaining monthly member, your donation goes even further to giving us the confidence to plan ahead and to reach further.
OUR IMPACT
REVIEWS OF FRAILTY MYTHS WORKSHOPS:
- “I loved the talk at the beginning! The entire environment, including the whole point of the workshop.”
- “I <3 the sense of comradery and the instructors were well-informed and good teachers.”
- “I liked being able to use a wide range of tools – I never knew about an impact driver before!”
- “I love how open everyone was and willing to teach.”
- “I feel fantastic! Beyond the workshop, just meeting women from such diverse fields was amazing.”
- “Thank you so much! I had an amazing time and feel more technically skilled and mentally empowered.”
FRAILTY MYTHS’ DIRECTORS
Here are the four women that make up the leadership of Frailty Myths:
Georgia Faye Hirsty works in the environmental justice movement with a focus on the use of non-violent direct action as a tactic for change. Her work is deeply rooted in the understanding that the fight for justice necessarily includes solidarity with every fight for justice, and that exploring the intersections of oppression is a necessary part of dismantling it. She holds a USCG 100t Captain’s license as well as many certificates from the trades.
Erinn Carter has worked in progressive politics for more than 15 years. Her work has encompassed everything from the theory of political science through her PhD work at UCLA, which specialized in Race and Ethnicity in the American political context, to her real-life political experience, including work with labor unions, community organizations, and activism across the United States. As a black woman, her primary professional and personal focus has been in the fight for justice for communities of color.
Susan Goodwillie is a co-founder of SPACE on Ryder Farm, a nonprofit residency program housed on a working organic farm. She is also a social worker at the Mental Health Project at the Urban Justice Center– a nonprofit that provides free legal and advocacy services to low-income New Yorkers living with mental illness.
Pearl Robinson was born in Florida, raised in New Jersey, and tells people that she’s from Brooklyn. She attended CUNY Medgar Evers in Brooklyn, New York and studied Journalism there, which comes in handy because the justice organizations she has worked for actually break the big stories and are true watchdogs of democracy. In her spare time, she enjoys singing karaoke, speaking loudly in inappropriate spaces, riding her bike, and watching funny YouTube videos.
