The Bakersfield (CA)Chapter of The Links, Incorporated… International Trends & Services (ITS) Facet Celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD)
IWD is a holiday celebrated annually on March 8th. The holiday focal point is the women’s rights movement. IWD provides insight into issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence abuse against women. The 2024 International Women’s Day theme is “Inspire Inclusion.” This year, the International Trends & Services Facet was honored to observe International Women’s Day with the Walter Stiern Middle School girls.
In our Chapter meeting on March 5, 2024, the International Trends and Services (ITS) Facet gave a presentation celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD).
IWD is a holiday celebrated annually on March 8th. The holiday focal point is the women’s rights movement. IWD provides insight into issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence abuse against women. The 2024 International Women’s Day theme is “Inspire Inclusion.” This year, the International Trends & Services Facet was honored to observe International Women’s Day with the Walter Stiern Middle School girls.
The presentation also included a call to action for providing sanitary pads to PRIDEPADS AFRICA.
International Trends & Services Facet member Jennifer C. Floyd shared with the Bakersfield (CA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated a PowerPoint titled PRIDEPADS AFRICA? PridePads Africa “supports young women from Cameroon, Africa, and surrounding areas. The girls and women will be supplied with affordable biodegradable sanitary pads and Menstrual Hygiene Education information. These pads will be
produced locally by and for women. Lack of knowledge regarding menstruation is a barrier to African girls’ self-worth and education. Girls are embarrassed, humiliated, and ashamed to attend school when their cycle is active. The PridePads mission “is to empower girls and keep them in school to ensure a brighter future.” The Chapter agreed to the call for action and will donate yearly to PridePads Africa.
Elizabeth Cleveland, PridePads Africa’s Executive Director, will deliver a ZOOM presentation to the Chapter in April.
The International Trends & Services Facet member Olivia Washington organized the chapter’s Annual International Women’s Day Dinner. The dinner was held at ZAMA Latin American Cuisine on March 8, 2024. The Chapter members enjoyed the sisterhood, fellowship, and delicious Latin American Food.
On March 12, 2024, the International Trends and Services Facet Chair, Christi Dugas Cramer, organized an “Inspire Inclusion” workshop for middle school girls in partnership with the Bakersfield City School District. The girls discussed the following: the purpose of International Women’s Day, issues relating to bias and inclusion, shared their career
goals and talked about women whom they admire. ITS member Jeanie Hill prepared a unique IWD gift bag for each student. The gift bags included items that represent IWD.
Background:
During its history, the Bakersfield Links Chapter has implemented and provided the following programs:
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• The Links’ Leadership STEAM Academy Left Brain Right Brain Program
• National Poster Arts Contest Winners from McKinley Elementary, School South School, and Siebert Elementary
• Adopted the Pinkney House at Kern County Museum
Human Trafficking Bakersfield
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• Can You Imagine Me-Childhood Obesity Program at McKinley Elementary School
· • Health and Wellness Conferences
· • Project LEAD: High Expectations
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· • Introduced DARE to Kern County
· • Mental Health and Hepatitis C Programs
· • Cyberbullying Programs
· • Hope for Haiti
· • HIV/AIDS
· • Collaborated with other Link Chapters to Build Schools in South Africa (MORE)
• Housing Conference sponsored by HUD, which resulted in the building of St. John Manor
· • Energy Conference
· • Youth Enrichment Assemblies
· • Boxes to Bagdad
• Black Family Wellness Health Expo
History of Bakersfield Chapter, The Links, Incorporated:
The Bakersfield Chapter was established on June 11, 1977, at The Rio Bravo Tennis Club in Bakersfield, California. The three visionary and esteemed ladies who organized the Bakersfield Chapter were Willye Pearl Collier, Evangeline Myles (deceased), and Educator Alma Lee Nealy, who still resides in Bakersfield, CA. Mrs. Alice Harvey, Los Angeles Chapter, and Mrs. Evangeline Myles, Greater Kansas City Chapter, sponsored the Chapter. Ms. Ann Julian, National Establishment Officer, and Mrs. Julia Smith, Western Area Director, installed the Chapter.
In Kern County, The Bakersfield Chapter of The Links represents Twenty-four outstanding women, including our two stellar Platinum and four alumnae members, all of whom have a committed track record of community service.
The Bakersfield Chapter has provided exemplary community service in its forty-six-year history. Our current Signature Program is “The Links’ Leadership STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Academy.”
About The Links, Incorporated
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation established in
1946. The membership consists of more than 17,000 professional women of African descent in 299 chapters in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women committed to enriching, sustaining, and
ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. Members of The Links, Incorporated, contribute more than 1 million documented hours of community service annually — strengthening their communities and enhancing the nation. For more information, visit www.linksinc.org.
