Her vision to increase opportunities for Latino families through holistic education, workforce and entrepreneurial training and family literacy; build community through leadership development and the search for solutions to common concerns; preserve, foster and share cultural heritage and facilitate intercultural exchange; and to advocate ecological awareness and action for the sustainable economy and healthy communities has helped countless new immigrants as well as the greater community.

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Bridget Cooke founded Adelante Mujeres in 2002 and it has grown over the past 8 years because of her hard work, dedication, lack of sleep and kind heart.  

Adelante Mujeres grew out of the resolve of a small group of low-income Latina female immigrants and their allies to improve the quality of life for themselves and their community. Today, project participants gain the confidence and abilities they need to create fuller lives for themselves, their families and the greater community through educational, skills development, personal growth and mentoring programs.
 

“It is a true pleasure to work with Bridget Cooke. She greets us each morning with a smile and a hug and inquires about our well being and truly cares how we answer. I consider her not only a boss, but a friend.” Gina Bell.

Adelante Mujeres Mission Statement: Our mission is the holistic education and empowerment of low-income Latina women and their families. We encourage all participants to believe in themselves, to commit to personal growth, to express solidarity with others, and to love and respect the Earth.

Bridget Cooke: Since 1998 Bridget has been working in Washington County with the Spanish speaking immigrant population. In 2002 she co-founded Adelante Mujeres, a non-profit committed to the holistic education and empowerment of low-income Latina women and their families. She is the organization’s Executive Director. Previously she lived in Chile, and was also engaged in non-profit community education projects. She holds Masters of Divinity and Education degrees.

She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Pacific University’s Center for Gender Equity.  Bridget grew up in the foothills west of Yamhill where she continues to spend most week-ends with her husband Frank working on oak savannah and upland prairie restoration projects on their family farm.

Bridget Cooke, Executive Director,
Adelante Mujeres, 503.992.0078,
http://www.adelantemujeres.org

Adelante Mujeres Programs and Services:

• Adult Education – Literacy, basic education, parenting, job readiness, and leadership development classes prepare Latina women to obtain their high school diplomas, improve English skills, and enhance self-esteem. Classes are held five days a week for five hours a day. Students also commit to providing 60 hours of community service a year.
• Early Childhood Education – An on-site school for the children of the adult students provides needed skills, especially vocabulary and literacy development for early school success.
• Young Latinas Support Network – Adelante Chicas is a new program designed to help girls manage the challenges and obstacles they face in all areas of life, including health, education, and social issues.
• Micro Enterprise Program – Made up of 3 projects, this program provides training, support and networking for low-income Latinos interested in beginning their own businesses. Adelante Agriculture is focused on business development in small-scale sustainable agriculture. Adelante Empresas is a comprehensive, small business development program that assists non-agricultural entrepreneurs develop the skills necessary to launch successful businesses. The Forest Grove Farmers Market, also managed by Adelante Mujeres, serves as a direct outlet for the produce grown by Adelante participants and local farmers, striving to provide equal access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Individual Development Accounts – A $3:1 matched savings program is offered to project participants to save money to start a business or continue their education.

Did you know?

• The average education level of an Adelante Mujeres student upon entering the Adult Education program is fifth grade.
• Cornelius, Oregon, has the state’s second highest Spanish-speaking population of 43%. The Spanish-speaking population of Forest Grove is 25%.
• Latino children who enter kindergarten at a basic reading level are ten times more likely to finish high school.
• Adolescent Latinas have the highest attempted suicide rate in the United States.
• Latinos make up 11% of Oregon’s population but only 2% of small businesses are Latino owned.

2009 Accomplishments of Adelante Mujeres:

• Ranked 7^th in the Oregon Business Magazine’s Top Non-Profits to Work For
• Adelante Mujeres students consistently met or surpassed state and federal benchmarks for educational gains.
• Increased food stamp sales at Farmers Market by 422%--helping to provide equal access to fresh, locally grown produce while also increasing farmers direct sales.
• Supported 8 small businesses in development and distributed $130,000 in matching funds to individuals seeking to save money to start small businesses or pursue post-secondary education.
• Over 150 girls enrolled in our second year of Adelante Chicas. The self-assessment surveys revealed promising results: positive cultural identities and relationships with peers as well as a move towards healthy and academically sound decisions.

Board of Directors: Adelante Mujeres has a 17-member Board of Directors, four of whom are student representatives. The Board develops policy procedures and regulations and monitors finances, programs and performance of Adelante Mujeres.

• Gini Petersen, President Gretchen Ziemer, Secretary
• Joelle Rickard, Vice President Emilie Witkowski, Treasurer
• María Arroyo
• Angela Chouinard
• Willie Collins
• Ignolia Duyck
• Andrea Jackson
• Rocío López
• Rhoda Markus
• Leocadia Montero
• Carmen Palomares
• Leticia Rosales
• Nancy Thompson
• Gerardo Vergara
• Kathy Wilson-Fey

Program Needs:

• Volunteers in school, office or at the Market
• School and office supplies
• Material handling device (dolly, pallet jack)
• Quality books in English, Spanish or bilingual
• 15 passenger van

Adelante Mujeres Financials: FY 2008-09 Annual Operating Budget of $568,541. Eighty-eight percent of all income goes directly to fund our programs. The remaining 12% is for necessary administrative expenses. Grants currently account for 80% of our funding. Individual and corporate contributions account for 14% and the remaining 6% come from the Forest Grove Farmers Market and fundraising events.

Expenses: Funding:

For information on how you can contribute to the organization, please contact Gina Bell at 503.992.0078 or gbell@adelantemujeres.org.