Cassette Tapes & Community: Back to the 80s Bash Highlights
Last month, we celebrated one of the most memorable moments of the year – our CWEE Annual Event! Donning high tops and denim duds, our community came together at CWEE’s Back to the 80s Bash to relive the raddest decade while making a major impact that will fuel CWEE families throughout the year.
Every year, the highlight of the evening comes when we have the special opportunity to hear from CWEE participants, who share stories of perseverance in the face of adversity. This year, we were honored to hear from Leticia, a mom of eight, who found community, confidence and herself at CWEE. In just a few short months at CWEE, Leticia has committed herself to achieving her goals and has made inspiring progress. She completed CWEE’s Career Readiness Program this summer and is now enrolled in CWEE’s GED program.
Of her time at CWEE, Leticia shares: “After the first full week [of the Career Readiness Program], CWEE really felt like home. I told my daughter that it felt like home and that it probably sounded silly. She reassured me and said “No it doesn’t! They made you feel like you belong.” I realized quickly that I wasn’t being judged at CWEE, and no one made me feel less than. I have always felt like I mattered at CWEE.”
Leticia’s story was the highlight of the entire evening. Her words reminded us all why were in the room together that night. CWEE has countless participants like Leticia who are brimming with strong skills and potential. We’re so grateful to have the honor of investing in this potential and coming alongside our participants as they accomplish wonderful things.
Recognizing the powerful potential our participants have, our community came together to raise more than $65,000 in support of CWEE’s transformational workforce program! These funds will directly serve CWEE participants and their children through no-cost mental health services, individualized job readiness training, access to essential resources like food, diapers and clothing, and no-cost GED prep classes.
Thank you to our amazing community of volunteers, donors, and our CWEE staff and Board of Directors for joining us for an unforgettable evening. Together we raised nearly $15,000 more in support than last year, outpacing a previously record-setting year! It is truly through your continued support, year after year, that thousands of lives have been changed at CWEE.
To see the impact your kindness is making, read Leticia’s full remarks from the Back to the 80s Bash here: https://cwee.org/2025/10/14/leticias-story/