History Timeline

         

Our History

1920
June 1

California Soldiers Widow’s Home Association

1 June 1920 – 1 Jan 1976

The McElroys donated an acre of land near the newly built West Los Angeles VA. They saw an overwhelming need to help the mothers and widows of soldiers lost in the Spanish American War and World War I. Through teas and dinners, they raised funds to build 5 bungalows and operated as California Soldiers Widow’s Home Association.

1976
January 1

Change in Leadership

1 Jan 1976 1 – Jan 2002

The McElroys and their friends operated the facility until 1976, when they turned to Pat DeMond for help. Pat took over management of the property, created a board, and hired Bob Long as the Executive Director. Together, Pat and Bob ran the organization consistent with their WWII values: independence, dignity and love of country.

2002
January 1

Service to Women Veterans

1 Jan 2002 – 1 Jan 2005

2002 Ranlyn Tilley Hill served as the second Executive Director. Under the guidance of the Executive Director and the committed Board, its programs were expanded. Their vision was to build sustainable, impactful programs in support of military women (both veterans and widows).

2005
January 1

Birth of Military Women In Need

1 Jan 2005 – 1 Jan 2010

2005 The organization changed its name to Military Women In Need Foundation. From the foundation was born a public charity, Military Women In Need. MWIN (charity) ran five core programs (Home Visits, Resource/Referral & Advocacy, Emergency Subsidies, Housing Subsidies, and Care Club). MWIN served (and continues to serve) female veterans and survivors of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Gulf War.

2010
January 1

Program Growth

1 Jan 2010 – 1 Jan 2015

2010 MWIN shifted its program focus from longterm housing subsidies to short-term, high-impact emergency subsidies which resulted in dramatic program growth. MWIN dropped its age requirement and served individuals of all ages including women veterans and survivors with minor dependent children. MWIN began serving female veterans and survivors of veterans from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan).

2015
May 1

Inaugural Warrior Awards

1 May 2015

2015 MWIN presented its inaugural Warrior Award for Excellence in Leadership to Lt. Commander Boyden Rohner (Head of Cyber Security for Homeland Security) and Warrior Award for Excellence in Media to Film Producer, Amy Ziering (Academy Award nominate producer of The Invisible War and two time Emmy Winner). The Pat De Mond Award went to LA County Commissioner Jaclyn Tilley Hill for her long time commitment to Military Women In Need.

2016
March 1

Childcare Project with UCLA & STAR Education

1 Mar 2016

2016 MWIN launched a childcare project with funds from the UCLA Foundation. In collaboration with UCLA Foundation, UCLA Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Program, and STAR Education, children of veterans attended summer day camps throughout Los Angeles Unified School District at dramatically reduced costs. MWIN also provided childcare stipends for children of women veterans between ages 0-5 yrs old.

August 23

Leadership Change

23 Aug 2016

MWIN hired its first full time paid Executive Director, Jodie Grenier. Jodie is a Marine OIF Veteran.

November 11

Foundation For Women Warriors

11 Nov 2016

Military Women In Need changes its name to Foundation For Women Warriors in an effort to empower the women veteran community.

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  • Do your finances keep you up at night? Not sure ho Do your finances keep you up at night? Not sure how to achieve financial freedom?

Join us on March 1st for a webinar on the First Steps to Financial Freedom.

During this webinar you will learn about important topics to take the first steps to create your financial plan, understanding credit and minimizing debt, saving to build wealth, and more.

Two live sessions are available to accommodate our national community: 
East Coast and Midwest – 6:00pm Central Time/7:00pm Eastern Time
West Coast – 6:00pm Pacific Time 

The very first step to financial freedom is showing up! 

Register today by clicking the link in our bio.
    Meet Major General Marcia Anderson. In 2011, Ander Meet Major General Marcia Anderson. In 2011, Anderson became the first African American woman in the United States Army’s history to achieve the rank of Major General in the United States Army Reserve. Her last two assignments before her retirement were Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Human Resources Command and Deputy Chief, U.S. Army Reserve. In this role, Anderson, had oversight for the planning, programming and resource management for the execution of an Army Reserve budget of $8 billion that supported over 225,000 Army Reserve Soldiers, civilians and their families. 

Learn more by clicking the link in our bio. 
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    Meet Master Sgt. Natasha Smith. She is the 81st He Meet Master Sgt. Natasha Smith. She is the 81st Healthcare Operations Squadron internal medicine flight chief and sharing how her family, faith and heritage have been the cornerstones of her military career.

“My children are my inspiration. They inspire me to be a better mother, daughter, sister and Airman! It is my mission to show them there is nothing too hard for them to accomplish.” - Master Sgt. Natasha Smith.

Learn more by clicking the link in our bio.
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    A heartfelt thank you to the Green Foundation for A heartfelt thank you to the Green Foundation for the generous $25,000 investment in our mission! Our donors are critical partners in ensuring women veterans can achieve success in their after-service lives. You too can support the personal and economic wellbeing of women veterans and their families. 

To make an impact or learn more visit our website by clicking the link in our bio.
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    Happy Presidents' Day! Happy Presidents' Day!
    The Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Lab The Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor reported the median childcare price for a family with one child ranged from $4,810 to $15,417 in 2018.  Today, childcare costs continue to increase significantly. An infant enrolled in licensed childcare in San Diego costs an average of $19,000, a price tag more costly than in-state college tuition.

According to the San Diego Foundation Workforce, Childcare & Change Report, Californian’s pay 26% higher than the national average for childcare, and San Diego is 15% higher than the state average. For many, this reality threatens not only their financial stability, but potentially their employment. 

Our childcare program allows women veterans to focus on their education and advancing their careers while their children are in safe and reliable care. To learn more or apply visit the link in our bio.
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#WomenVeterans #WomanVeteran #FemaleVeterans #FemaleVeteran #Veteran #Veterans #MilitaryVeterans #WomenInTheMilitary #MilitaryWomen #MilitaryWoman #MilitaryKids #MilitaryFamily #Military #FoundationForWomenWarriors #FFWW #WomenWarriors #HonorHerService #EmpowerHerFuture
    Meet Joy Allen. Allen serves as Deputy Department Meet Joy Allen. Allen serves as Deputy Department Head for Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division’s Performance Assessment Department, which serves as the independent analysis and assessment agent across several warfare areas including Air Defense, Integrated Air and Missile Defense, Surface, Strike, and, Cyber. 
 
The department's expertise is utilized across unit level, multi-ship, and strike group compositions, and she ensures everything runs smoothly and assists with daily, high-level operations that are critical to warfighter success and combat capability.
 
“I am grateful for the opportunity to work in a leadership role for our Navy.” - Joy Allen
 
Learn more by clicking the link in our bio.
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#BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #WomeninSTEM #BlackWomenInSTEM #Leadership #USNavy #NavalSurface #NavalSurfaceWarfareCenter
    Join us on Saturday, March 25th, 2023, at 5:30pm a Join us on Saturday, March 25th, 2023, at 5:30pm at The Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) located in Balboa Park for a special in-person screening of The Six Triple Eight Documentary followed by a Q&A. 

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known as the Six Triple Eight, was the only all-black female battalion to serve in Europe during WWII. Confronted with racism and sexism from their own leadership and troops, they cleared a backlog of over 17 million pieces of mail. The 6888th ensured troops stayed in touch with their loved ones back home. President Biden signed into law on March 14th, 2022, a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize the women of the 6888th.

Ticket are $25 per person and must be purchased in advance. Limited tickets are available and will not be sold on site.

Buy your tickets today, visit the link in our bio.

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