WEPOWER Wednesday: Hope in Action
April 16, 2025
WEPOWER Wednesday: Hope in Action
Friend,
We know you may be feeling overwhelmed with bad news and headlines that make you lose hope. But here’s the good news: for every bad headline, there’s almost always an opportunity to take action and to work towards positive change. We are who we’ve been waiting for. Together, we can create the world we want to live in. This week, we will be sharing plenty of opportunities for you to take action, and we are confident that our WEPOWER family can make a difference!
CALLS TO ACTION
Join us for our monthly CWAG meeting. We will discuss the various Community Wealth Building projects across STL and how you can engage!
Contact your Senators today to tell them to protect raising the minimum wage and paid sick time, both won during November elections via Prop A!
Get ready, entrepreneurs! We are opening up our accelerator applications next week. Stay tuned! We hope you apply and spread the word!
UPDATES
WEPOWER Advocates for Community Wealth Building
Last week, our Founder & CEO, Charli Cooksey, joined a powerhouse panel at ABFE 2025: Harambee, Let’s All Pull Together to talk about how to transform our economy through Community Wealth Building.
During the session, “Investing in Asset-Building for Community Ownership,” Charli and fellow leaders from Kindred Futures, the Center for Economic Democracy, Prudential, and the Jessie Parker Williams Foundation made it plain: If we’re serious about closing the racial wealth gap, philanthropy must show up differently.
In a packed room, they called on philanthropic and social sector leaders to invest in people, businesses, and cooperative models that build lasting economic power and wellbeing in Black and Brown communities.
Take Action to Protect Early Head Start
The President is considering a budget plan that would eliminate funding for Head Start, including Early Head Start, causing many infants and toddlers living in poverty to lose access to critical early learning services. Enter your information here to send a pre-written email urging your Members of Congress to protect Head Start and Early Head Start funding. Investing in early childhood education isn't just beneficial—it's crucial. Take action today!
NEWS + OPPORTUNITIES
- Join WEPOWER and BMO on April 24th for our workshop “How to Obtain Biz Credit”
- Apply by April 24 to become a vendor on the St. Louis Riverfront 2025
- Virtual Legal Clinic for Small Business - Thursday, April 17
- Rally with hundreds of Missourians across the state on April 19th in defense of Amendment 3 and our reproductive freedom
INSPIRATION
In the Chaos, We Make Meaning
In the midst of all the noise, it's easy to forget—but beauty still exists. Art is still being made. Songs are still being sung. Ideas are still being shared. Somewhere, someone is picking up a paintbrush, writing a poem, or simply listening with care. It’s not all violent and/or ridiculous. Let this be your reminder that we can—and are—creating something better.
image credit: @cleowade
Let's keep building,
Your Friends at WEPOWER