In early 2016 a group of community coaches, resident leaders from the Housing Authority of the City of Goldsboro's (HACG) Jobs Plus Self-Sufficiency Program, shared their sentiments about how isolated they felt as women with struggles, families, and goals living in public housing. Initially, their time as community coaches brought them together, but their conversations made them realize they had more in common than they realized. One resident commented that before becoming engaged in HACG programs and working with other residents, she would have never talked to her neighbors.

Many residents share the same initial perceptions as the resident listed above. They have feelings of distrust with their neighbors and the agency and have no interest in getting to know their neighbors or other community members initially. This contributes to feelings of isolation, distrust, sadness, and being misunderstood.

As similar sentiments were shared over the years, and through interactions such as the one described above, HACG's resident service staff recognized a need for a safe space for women to gather. 

The objectives of the program include:

• Providing structured monthly meetings for residents, which are planned in collaboration between HACG staff and residents.
• Providing a safe space for women's empowerment and sharing of triumphs and struggles.
• Offering leadership and training opportunities for residents.
• Building trust rapport with residents to increase participation in self-sufficiency programs.
• Increasing connections between residents.
• Decreasing negative feelings of isolation, sadness, or distrust among residents.

What started as our "Pretty Tough," renamed to "Let's Talk," Women's Support Group, is a collective space of women's voices (18 and older) that are led to encourage, challenge, and support one another.  These resilient women meet monthly and get straight to the real conversations that are most important to them. The programs vary depending on resident needs and include small group peer support discussions, speakers from community partnerships, and activities for residents to enjoy. Empowerment and sharing are integral to the program. It also provides leadership training and opportunities for the women that are participating.

This group is open to all women living within HACG communities, visit our website calendar for upcoming meeting dates.