A letter from the Executive Director
Below is an excerpt from our 2021 Annual Report. Check out the full report here.
Written by Chelsie Walter.
I’ve put off this letter for so long, mostly because I just couldn’t figure out where to begin.
When thinking through how to start this off, in true ‘90s kid fashion, I just keep hearing Smash Mouth sing, “My world’s on fire, how about yours?”
Most days I look at the world and feel… distance. It’s hard to put into words, but I see ideological distance between neighbors; the massive gap between the Cincinnati we live in and a true, equitable city; and the physical distance separating friends, colleagues, and family entering our third year of a global pandemic. Sitting alone at my dining room table, I realize that I desperately miss the small talk around the coffee maker, a couch full of friends drinking wine, and the deep conversations that happen while looking at someone face-to-face. With so much distance, it’s easy to see how empathy is missing from so many of our conversations.
More times than I’d like to admit, I thought 2021 was our last year of Women of Cincy. The beauty and downfall of our work is that it’s hard to measure. Creating empathy: What does that look like? What kind of impact does it make? In a world where everything has to be assigned a justifiable dollar amount, our mission – connection, storytelling, celebration – is a hard sell to grantmakers, businesses, etc.
Despite the setbacks, we’re still here today because of you and the absolute joy that your stories create for so many everyday people just making life work. There are so many people who saved us, even though they didn’t know it. Time and time again, we were pulled out of dark moments by a kind comment left on a story, a donation in the middle of the night, a T-shirt order from a name I didn’t recognize, a story that moved us to tears, or watching our volunteers continuously go above and beyond when bringing these stories to life.
“Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming…”
Looking back, I can’t believe what we’ve accomplished since we began as an Instagram account back in 2017. My 24-year-old self had no idea how much love, loss, and life were ahead of her, and how much impact Women of Cincy would have on her and our city. Three hundred and ninety five stories later, we’re entering 2022 with big dreams, a kickass team, and stories that give us hope, insight, and gratitude.
In 2022, our words to live by are balance and sustainability. We’re striving for balance in our everyday lives; the opportunities we take and times we say no; and keeping our voice, independence, and mission alive when the world tells us it isn’t enough. And sustainability: building a stable foundation we can learn and grow upon so that we can create a long-term plan for Women of Cincy in the next five, ten, twenty years.
These words to live by apply to my own life too. Finding the balance between being a new mom, running a nonprofit, and paying the bills; remembering the things I love and taking time to plan my garden; and teaching my daughter that the distance we feel is fixable when we center empathy in every decision we make.
“All that glitters is gold, only shooting stars break the mold…”
To Zoey, Tia, Kristyn, Jillian, Katie, Rubina, Emily, Zaria, Cheniece, Zoe, and all of our other interviewees in 2021 – thank you for sharing your story so authentically. Your words make a difference and we are forever in your corner.
Together, we’re taking a different approach to media and shifting narrative power to the people who make our city work everyday. And while all that glitters isn’t always gold – with enough passion, love, and open-mindedness, there’s a lot of gold left in the world.
Gratefully,
Chelsie Walter
Executive Director
Women of Cincy
Read our 2021 Annual Report.
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