ResearchProject-WomensResourceAgency

Examining the past, the present and the future

Report Prepared

for:

Melissa Marts – Executive Director

Jennifer Roberts – Program Administrator

Executive Summary

Prepared by:

Hazel Lehtonen

and

Kim Hicks

December 2013


The purpose of this report is to provide the staff at The Women’s Resource Agency a look

into their past in regards to how and why the agency was developed, a comparison of same

or similar organizations and their programs and suggestions of women-centric holidays to

base their fundraising events around.

The Women’s Resource Agency is an amazing organization that has been teaching,

empowering and advocating for women since 1972. Despite their success and recognition

for helping women achieve financial independence, their current leadership does not have

a full understanding of the roots of the organization. When we approached their Executive

Director and Program Administrator in search of a problem that we could help them solve,

they responded by challenging us to locate any historical data we could that would help

them understand how the program began. As the four of us spoke, there was uncertainty

as to just how much information we would be able to gather. As such, they also asked us to

provide them with comparison data from same or similar organizations in the neighboring

states of Colorado as well as a list of holidays that highlighted women in order to plan their

fundraising events around.

The information provided in our report was gathered from over 76 newspaper articles,

internet searches and first hand interviews with women involved with The Women’s

Resource Agency in the early days. The amount of information gathered was vast and

provided a good understanding of the connection between the agency, Virginia Neal Blue

and the Colorado Commission on the Status of Women.

Although we do not feel that we necessarily “solved” a problem, we do believe the amount

of information we are able to provide to Ms. Marts and Ms. Roberts will be a great value to

them as they continue down the path of rebranding The Women’s Resource Agency.


Table of Contents

Executive Summary............................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction............................................................................................................................................................... 3

Historical Information......................................................................................................................................... 4

Comparison of Like Agencies...........................................................................................................................8

Calendar of Events:..............................................................................................................................................10

Challenges................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Conclusion................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Works Cited............................................................................................................................................................. 14

Appendix................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Annotated Bibliography...................................................................................................................................23


Introduction

According to the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, many women and girls in Colorado

enjoy economic prosperity, while others do not have access to the resources and

opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency. Furthermore, many do not know where to turn

for assistance. The Women’s Resource Agency was founded over forty years ago with one

goal - to help women who are at an economic disadvantage in society to attain and maintain

personal self-sufficiency and economic independence. It was originally named the Virginia

Neal Blue Center for Women after the Colorado State Treasurer Virginia Neal Blue, who

was the first woman elected to office in Colorado in 1967. Over the years, the agency has

experienced many changes, including the change of the name to The

Women’s Resource Agency, incorporation into a tax-exempt

nonprofit agency and eventual membership in the United Way. With

so many changes over the years and a recent spike in staff turnover,

staff members interviewed shared with us their desire to learn more

and gain a better understanding of the history and origins of their

agency, along with a desire to review of program comparisons with

other agencies addressing the same issues. This information will be

helpful to them as they work on re-branding and revitalizing their agency and developing

their new strategic plan. They also requested assistance in developing a yearly calendar of

events that highlight women. The purpose of this project is to help the Women’s Resource

Agency with their re-branding by providing a description of their origins, a timeline of

events, snapshots of their image in the news media and an ideal calendar of events to keep

the community interested in these very important issues.

Throughout history, women have faced frequent discrimination and disadvantages in the

workplace. In single parent homes, often the cost of childcare is a huge hurdle for the

working mother to overcome. In fact, this problem is not new and is something women


have been struggling with for years. The Commission on the Status of Women, which was

ordered and put together by former Governor Love in 1964, conducted extensive research

regarding the problems women faced in society in all areas. The lack of available and

affordable childcare for single mothers was listed as an enormous hurdle. Despite the Equal

Pay Act of 1963, women were still often paid much lower wages for doing the same work as

men, which exacerbated this problem. These same issues that hounded women back in the

1970’s are still barriers to self-sufficiency today. According to a study by Child Care Aware

of America, Colorado is still the fourth most expensive state for childcare costs for working

parents. Times have changed in many subtle ways but the underlying issues facing women

in the workforce today are still composed of mostly the same root problems. The challenge

of the Women’s Resource Agency is to develop a fresh new look with renewed energy yet

retain the sense of continuity that comes from dealing with the same general issues for

forty years. Continued community connection, coverage in the news media and regular

events are needed to keep these issues alive in the mind of today’s society.

In order to understand which direction to take in the future, this organization needed to

understand its position in the community in the past, its origins, how it was formed and

how it was viewed in the community at large over the years. In interviewing Ms. Melissa

Marts and Ms. Jennifer Roberts, it was revealed that current staff would benefit from a

better understanding of this information, as well as ideas for the future. In conducting our

research, we compiled over seventy six newspaper articles spanning over forty two years

of public communication regarding this agency and the local women’s movement, accessed

a handful of academic articles and consulted over (obtain number once bibliography is

done) websites in order to gain comparison data.

Historical Information

The history of the women’s movement neither began with nor will end with the Women’s

Resource Agency. However, this agency was one of the pioneers in Colorado Springs,

offering help to hundreds of displaced homemakers and economically disadvantaged


women of all ages and from all walks of life. The following statistics reflect some of the

issues women face in El Paso County Colorado:

Women and children make up the largest percentage of people who are homeless.

In El Paso County, the median income for single moms is $25,778 ($12.40/hr). The

cost of full time daycare is $12,600/year. To be eligible for food assistance, you can

make up to 130% of the poverty level which is $25,000 (less than $10/hr). Single

moms and their children really struggle.

According to Pikes Peak United Way’s Quality of Life Indicators, El Paso County’s

unemployment rate is 9.2%, higher than the state average of 8%. It is estimated

that over 12,500 women are looking for work in El Paso County.

When the Women’s Resource Agency started, it was only fifty-two years prior, in 1920, that

women obtained the right to vote. Forty three years later, women exercising their right to

vote were able to cast votes for Governor John Love, who served Colorado from 1963 to

1973.

It was Governor Love who in 1964 ordered the creation of the Colorado Commission on the

Status of Women. The purpose of this state agency, formed in the wake of the Equal Pay

Act, was to conduct an exhaustive study encompassing the position of women in many

areas, including labor standards, employment, education and counseling, home and

community, women as citizens, and women under the law. Presiding over this agency was

Virginia Neal Blue, who was subsequently elected to the position of State Treasurer in

1967. Mrs. Blue was only able to serve a short three years before passing away in 1970

from a form of cancer. During her service on the commission, she learned that employment

was frequently a need cited by the area’s women. While Mrs. Blue worked on the

commission, other women across the state were coordinating efforts to help women

further themselves in the workforce. Many of these quiet heroines volunteered countless

hours of time and services to help advance the cause of women across the state.


Marilyn Kastel, a local counselor, was one such heroine. By 1971, Marilyn Kastel had been

counseling numerous women through the counseling and testing center at El Paso

Community College (now known as Pikes Peak Community College). She had previously

been doing this under the direction of Dean Paula Parish while at the University of

Colorado at Boulder. Marilyn brought the idea with her when she relocated to Colorado

Springs. Her connection to Paula Parish, who also served on the commission, may have

been responsible for the commission reaching out to her for help in the setup of a women’s

resource center in Colorado Springs. Although Marilyn started out counseling college

students and prospective students, this scope soon expanded to all local women

throughout the entire Pikes Peak Region who were interested in her assistance. Coverage

of this in an article in the Colorado Springs Sun on October 29th led to a huge spike in the

requests for career and workforce counseling. This endeavor would soon outgrow the

college and overwhelm Marilyn. By May of 1972, the center was moved into donated space

within the First Methodist Church building. The husband of Millie Lacour, one of the early

board members, was a senior pastor there and was able to help get them the free space.

Pauline Parish of the commission as well as the Lieutenant Governor were there for the

center’s official opening. It was named the Virginia Neal Blue Center for Women. There

were seven or eight of these centers planned across the state, in communities such as Fort

Collins/Greeley, Pueblo, Alamosa, Grand Junction and La Junta. Each center had a slightly

different focus which was adaptable to the needs of the local population. However,

employment remained a major issue of all of the centers whose history was found.

In January 1972, a few months before the Colorado Springs Virginia Neal Blue Center

officially opened its doors under the banner of the former state treasurer, Denver managed

to open up their first branch on the Temple Buell college campus. Similar to the Colorado

Springs branch, both centers started out under the sponsorship of local colleges and both

centers started in just two rooms. By June, these centers had received a small grant from

the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to help them get started. Further

funding for the centers was obtained under the Comprehensive Employment and Training


Act (CETA). By January of 1975, a third center was opened in Fort Collins. However, during

their early years these centers were often underfunded and understaffed. Resources were

simply not there to keep up with the growing demand for services. In fact, in March of

1976, the Denver center actually had to close for at least a year due to simply not having

enough funding. Fundraising events had been going on back in 1971 in front of local

grocery stores but by 1976 the center was out of money. However, by 1977 the center in

Denver fortunately was able to reopen.

The demand for the services offered at these centers was more than staff expected. The

first day in 1972 that services at the Colorado Springs center’s “Women in Transition”

workshop were publicized, the initial enrollment maximum of 15 was immediately

expanded to 25, which still was not enough. Even with the Governor’s press secretary

attending the opening of the Colorado Springs center, the initial funding was exclusively via

private donations and simply was not enough to offer all of the services that were needed.

This may have been partly due to women’s issues simply not being a priority need in the

minds of many. Verna Are, who served on the Virginia Neal Blue Center for Women board

in 1976, stated during our interview that “When I went to work, women were nothing.”

Verna went on to volunteer hundreds of hours in a study done by the center in 1978 to

address all of the needs of the local population of women. This study was over 200 pages

with all of the information tabulated by hand without a computer, a copy of which is still

available in the Pikes Peak Library District’s special collection section. This is just an

example of the tireless amount of work the centers’ early founders and board members did.

The staff of the Virginia Neal Blue Center in Colorado Springs worked in conjunction with a

similar agency, the Women’s Option Center, to compile this research.

The Colorado Springs Women’s Resource Center has continued to grow and evolve since its

inception. At first, the center was focused on low-income women. By 1978 however, the

Gazette reported that the agency was open to helping all women, regardless of income.

Unlike the Fort Collins Center, which also included medical care on its agenda, the Colorado

Springs center has remained focused primarily on employment and employment-related


counseling for the last forty years. When Marilyn Kastel started the center in 1971, she said

“The center should not be a duplicate effort,” and in that spirit, the focus of the center has

remained relatively the same over the years.

Comparison of Like Agencies

While Ms. Kastel aspired to avoid duplicity, agencies similar to The Women’s Resource

Agency exist across Colorado, as well as the United States. In an effort to provide Ms. Marts

and Ms. Roberts with comparison data, research was conducted via the internet and the

University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) library. The information available was

limited however, we were able to locate the following similar organizations.

The Women's Employment Network (WEN) is a Kansas City

based organization that was founded over 25 years ago. Much like The Women’s Resource

Agency, their mission is to help women raise their self-esteem and achieve economic

independence through sustained employment. WEN takes a long-view of their clients' lives

and futures and abides by the adage of "teaching a woman to fish, instead of giving a

woman one fish." They state that what they do is bigger than just helping women find jobs

in that they “help women find careers and a path to a future that includes self-sufficiency

and stability”.

The Women’s Employment Network and The Women’s Resource Agency both assist

approximately one thousand women between the age of eighteen and sixty two to enter or

re-enter the workforce. Their services include job search training and resources,

individualized coaching and professional case management. Additionally, they also offer

day care advice, transportation assistance and professional wardrobes for the women in

their program.


Wardrobe for Opportunity is a growing nonprofit

organization in the Bay Area of California that empowers low-income individuals with

acquiring interview skills, professional clothing and career support to become

economically self-sufficient. While similar to The Women’s Resource Agency, Wardrobe for

Opportunity services both men and women in their quest for economic viability. They host

private boutiques from which they offer low-income jobseekers image workshops,

professional clothing and professional image coaching. They state these services help their

clients gain a more positive sense of self and empower them to become confident

applicants and successful employees. In addition to the private boutiques, Wardrobe for

Opportunity also provides monthly corporate sponsored interview clinics that provide

their clients the opportunity to mock interview with up to four different professionals.

Following the interviews, the candidates are provided constructive feedback to prepare for

actual interviews. Lastly, they have an Alumni Program that connects program graduates

with each other to network and continue to advance their careers.

Founded in New York City in 1997, Dress for

Success is an international not-for-profit organization offering services designed to help

clients find jobs and remain employed. Each Dress for Success client receives one suit when

she has a job interview and can return for a second suit or separates when she finds work.

Dress for Success provides women career guidance, the chance to acquire technology skills

and assistance in searching for the right job. Once employed, Dress for Success also offers

women ongoing support as they transition into the workforce through their Steps to

Success program. This initiative focuses on the first 30 days of employment when the

client may face many challenges.


Although many of these organizations are very similar in the programs they offer, it

appears to this researcher that The Women’s Resource Agency offers they most diversity in

the programs they offer.

Calendar of Events:

The last piece of information that The Women’s Resource Agency asked us to research was

a calendar of events that would be aimed at women. As such, we offer the following as

suggested women-focused “holidays” that the agency could focus their events on:

March 8 is International Women’s Day which has been observed since in the early

1900's. Thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and

celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects

women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business

conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's

craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more. The Women’s

Resource Agency could hold many different themed events on this day ranging from

craft fairs, fashion shows etc.

May 12-18 is designated National Women’s Health Week. This weeklong event is

designed to promote women’s health and its importance and empowers women to

make their health a priority. Many activities could be held during this week

including health screenings, weight loss and smoking cessation clinics, physical

fitness challenges and tips for managing stress.

July or August could be when The Women’s Resource Agency holds their annual

Fashion to the Rescue Event

September 22 is American Business Women’s Day which marks the founding of the

American Business Women’s Association in 1949. This day commemorates the


important legacy and contribution of the American working women and business

owners. Events for this holiday could include honoring those clients who have

retained employment in milestone increments and can be an inspiration to others.

October is the official month designated as National Women’s Small Business Month

and the recommendation would be for The Women’s Resource Agency to have local

small business owners attend a luncheon and provide tips to the clients on how to

start and maintain a small business.

In addition to these holidays, there are others that could also be highlighted and/or

celebrated throughout the months. These include, but are not limited to Equal Pay Day,

National Heritage Month, Take your Daughter to Work Day, and International Volunteers

Month. A list of all of the holidays by month will be included in the appendix.

A variety of themes could also be incorporated into these events. Themes such as a spa

night where manicures and pedicures are provided along with mini makeovers, Karoake

night whereby patrons could make a donation to sing a song, as well as talent shows and

chili cook offs.

Challenges

The major challenge to implement these ideas will be in the funding. As with anything, it

takes money to make money. However, it may be possible to invite local business to donate

their time for some of these events, such as spa night.

Conclusion


Although the Virginia Neal Blue Centers all started out under the main umbrella association

of the office in Denver, each center gradually went its own way, adopting its own name and

selecting the focus of its services based on the unique needs of the area being served. Some

centers seem to have disappeared from the record entirely. The Women’s Resource Agency

appears to have the most continuity of service, both in the fact that it has successfully

remained open for the last 40 years, longer than any other center, and that its services are

generally similar to services offered years ago. As such, we would not expect mothers who

received assistance to have any hesitation at all about sending their daughters to the

agency for help as well. Word of mouth is a powerful advertisement. With the vast number

of clients that have built up over the years and that have kept in touch with the Women’s

Resource Agency, we believe this association with past clients is a great strength as well

and continues to benefit the agency. We noted a few items that we believe may be

insightful.

Upon a review of the Women’s Resource Center of Durango’s website, we found that the

site links to other centers in the state, including the subject of our study, the Women’s

Resource Agency here. As several “success stories” mentioned relocation, we believe that

exchanging website links and information with other “sister” agencies across the state will

not duplicate effort but will help raise awareness for all of the centers. A client who

recently relocated from another city would be able to easily find the women’s resource

center in his/her new city, while still being easily locatable via the United Way.

We also encourage the Women’s Resource Agency to continue partnerships with local

colleges such as UCCS and PPCC, as well as private institutions. We noted events in the past

partnered with Colorado College as well which we believe were highly successful. The

Women’s Resource Agency began in the mind of a college counselor and was then

sanctioned and supported by a state agency. By the time the Colorado Commission on the

Status of Women reached out to Marilyn Kastel, she had already been counseling women

through the college. The academic arena continues to be a place where women looking for


career options can receive referrals to the agency. Many local fundraising events take place

at Pikes Peak Community College and since the Women’s Resource Agency arose from the

work of an outstanding counselor there, it is our hope that having this history at hand

might help the Women’s Resource Agency extend overtures to the college for help with any

fundraising issues that may arise.

Although our research was not directed towards solving one problem in particular, it is our

hope that the ideas presented will help staff members as they develop their new strategic

plan. With the recent staff turnover, we hope that providing digitized copies of archive

documents along with summary history will provide just the information the staff needs to

maintain the organization’s sense of identity while developing future goals and

strengthening relationships with partner agencies.


Works Cited

Aldridge, Dorothy. "New Confidence for Displaced Homemakers." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 12 Nov. 1978, BB sec.: 1BB. Print.

Bahr, Steven J, and Ricks Shirley, S. "Increasing the Economic Wellbeing of Separated, Divorced and Widowed Women Over Age Thirty." Policy Studies Review 8.3 (1989): 689-703. Web.

Belgum, Deborah. "Women's Resource Agency's New Office Reflects New Scope." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 28 Apr. 1987, sec. D: n. pag. Print.

Berkovsky, Andrea. "New Women's Option Center Hopes to Become a One-Stop 'Help' Shop." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 09 Aug. 1977: n. pag. Print.

Birkhead, Gene. "Women's Center Moves Downtown." Colorado Springs Sun 28 Dec. 1976, Living sec.: 9. Print.

Birkhead, Gene. "Workshop Tries to Aid Those Re-entering the Job Market." Colorado Springs Sun 28 July 1984, Accent sec.: 19-20. Print.

Birkhead, Gene. "Workshop Tries to Aid Those Re-entering the Job Market." Colorado Springs Sun 28 July 1984, Accent sec.: 19-20. Print.

"Blue Center for Women Opens at Temple Buell." Denver Post 26 Jan. 1972: 54. Print.

"Blue Centers Given Grant for Branches." Denver Post 28 June 1972: n. pag. Print.

Colorado Commission on the Status of Women. Issue brief. Denver: Trades, 1965. Print

"Commission on Women Gives Money Back to State." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 20 Jan. 1976, sec. B: 1. Print.

Hauser, Susan G. "The Women's Movement in the 70's, Today: 'You've Come a Long Way, But..'" The Women's Movement in the '70s, Today: 'You've Come a Long Way,' But ... N.p., 15 May 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.workforce.com/articles/the-women-s-movement-in-the-70s-today-you-ve-come-a-long-way-but>.

Hilander, Sally K. "Specifics of ERA Discussed." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 13 Apr. 1973: n. pag. Print.

"History." Womens Resource Center. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://womens-resource.org/whoweare/history/>.

McCoy, Joan. "Center's Good Record Can't Keep Doors Open." Rocky Mountain News [Denver] 01 Apr. 1976: 68. Print.


McCoy, Joan. "Women Join Forces to Seek Common Goals." Rocky Mountain News [Denver] 11 Dec. 1973: 69. Print.

Mendes, Kaitlynn. "Framing Feminism: News Coverage of the Women's Movement in British and American Newspapers, 1968-1982." Social Movement Studies 10.1 (2011): 81-98. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

"Resource Center Closing in Denver." Denver Post 22 Mar. 1976, Living sec.: 17. Print.

Salcetti, Marianne. "Colorado Women Lay Plans for Equality." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 5 Feb. 1978: n. pag. Print.

Shewchuk, Cyd. "New Counseling Service Caters to the Modern Woman." Colorado Springs Sun 29 Oct. 1971, Living sec.: 13. Print.

Stoenner, Herb. "Resource Centers Work for Women." Denver Post 31 Aug. 1977: 36. Print.

Tanda, Kathi. "Bureau Destroys Myths." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 13 Apr. 1972: n. pag. Print.

Terwilliger, Catherine. "Help for Displaced Homemakers." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 01 Nov. 1984, sec. D: D1-D5. Print.

Tester, Jane. "Women's Unit Opens 7th Center." Denver Post 17 Jan. 1975: 79. Print.

Verba, Helen. "Virginia Neal Blue Center Plans Fund Drive Saturday." Denver Post 14 Oct. 1971: n. pag. Print.

Watkins, Susan. "Local Employment Discussed Through Afternoon Panel." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 13 Apr. 1973: n. pag. Print.

Watkins, Susan. "Varied Programs, Successes Reported by Commission on Status of Women." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 30 Jan. 1973: 3. Print.

Watkins, Susan. "Virginia Neal Blue Center Works for Women." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 29 Oct. 1972: n. pag. Print.

Watkins, Susan. "Women's Opportunities Are Offered by Virginia Center." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 11 May 1972, Women's Section sec.: n. pag. Print.

Women in the Labor Force: A Statistical Portrait. Rep. Denver: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, 1978. Print.

"Women Laborors Increase." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 25 July 1976: n. pag. Print.

"Women's Resource Center Slates Sunday Reception." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 26 Oct. 1972, Women's Section sec.: n. pag. Print.


"Women's Resource Center to Offer Workshop." Gazette Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 1 Oct. 1972, sec. I: 4. Print.

Zawada, Mary A. "Displaced Homemakers: Unresolved Issues." Personnel & Guidance Journal 59.2 (1980): 110-12. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

Appendix

LIST OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES LOCATED:

Newspaper Date Article Title Description

Colorado Springs Sun October 29, 1971

New Counseling Service Caters to

the Modern Woman

Marilyn Kastel counseling all Colo Spgs women with

career advice; had been doing this at UC-Boulder

under Dean Pauline Parish. Parish later served on the Colorado Commission for

women.

Colorado Springs Sun December 28, 1976Women's Center

Moves Downtown

New location at 25 N. Spruce St.; Ronni Collazo, Director, plans study to

determine current needs of women in order to

determine center's future direction.

Colorado Springs Sun March 15, 1983 Losing a Job Has Many Side Effects

Dolores Quinlisk, current WRA director describes

challenges faced by women needing employment

Colorado Springs Sun July 28, 1984

Workshop tries to aid those re-

entering the job market

Describes the 4-week long PREP program which aids in re-entry into the workforce

CS Indy February 26, 2009Dressed to the

Nines

describes dinner/auction/fashion show to benefit WRA

CS IndySeptember 30,

2010 Another Chance

Describes $100,000 grant received from Colo DOL to

implement program for incarcerated mothers for

employment rehab

CS Indy April 7, 2011 The Social Network

Lists nonprofits, including the WRA


CS Indy February 9, 2012 Review: Glass Slipper Ball

Centers mostly on vendors but mentions WRA as a

beneficiary of event proceeds

CS Indy February 17, 2012Conter Receives

Honor from Local League of Women

Descibes award for Lindy Conter; mentions she has

worked with the WRA

CS Indy March 30, 2012 Two for the Girls

Mentions "The Listening Tour" - work done by the

Women's Foundation; also mentions a leadership

workshop for girls offered by the WRA - mentions this is the 1st program by WRA open to all girls in the Pikes Peak Region (InterCept and

InterCept two are mentioned and are just for

girls referred by the juv. district attorney office)

CS Indy August 21, 2013 Find Your Niche

List of nonprofits recommended for college

students to volunteer with; mentions WRA

Denver Post October 14, 1971Virginia Neal Blue Center Plans Fund

Drive Saturday

Describes fundraising at grocery stores throughout Colorado to attempt to set

up a mobile center for women; says that creating the centers has been a goal of the Colo Commission for

two years (since 1969)

Denver Post January 26, 1972Blue Center for

Women Opens at Temple Buell

Denver center opens on the Temple Buell college

campus

Denver Post June 28, 1972 Blue Centers Given Grant for Branches

Describes grant given to help open a total of 7

centers; Colo Spgs "being organized"

Denver Post January 17, 1975 Women's Unit Opens 7th Center

Fort Collins VNB center opens; initial plans: jobs,

health education, guidance and counseling, child care.

Denver Post March 22, 1976 Resource Center Closing in Denver

VNB center in Denver closes; others in Colo Spgs, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Grand

Junction and Araphahoe


Comm College listed as still open.

Denver Post August 31, 1977Resource Centers Work for Women

Denver VNB center re-opens after one year closed; focus

is on employment

Gazette TelegraphSeptember 17,

1970

Virginia Blue, State Treasurer, Dies of

Cancerdeath notice for VNB

Gazette Telegraph May 11, 1972

Women's Opportunities are Offered by Virginia

Center

Describes opening of VNB Colo Spgs, also reps from

Denver attended, including Pauline Parish of the Colo Commission on women. Marilyn Kastel listed as

acting chairman of the Colo Spgs VNB board.

Gazette Telegraph October 1, 1972Women's

Resource Center to Offer Workshop

"Women in Transition" offered thru D11 school; Marilyn Kastel instructing

Gazette Telegraph October 26, 1972

Women's Resource Center

Slates Sunday Reception

Article regardfing "open house" being held at WRC.

Gazette Telegraph October 29, 1972Virginia Neal Blue Center Works for

Women

Notes that the first day "Women in Transition"

workshop was publicized, enrollment max was 15 and class expanded to 25 - was still full. Center had almost

no funding at this point outside private donations. Mentions Governor Love's press secretary will attend

the open house.

Gazette Telegraph December 31, 1972Beneficial

Involvement in 1972

Year summary of women's activities; mentions the Oct

29th opening of WRA

Gazette Telegraph January 30, 1973

Varied Programs, Successes

Reported by Commission on

Status of Women

Mentions center opening in San Luis Valley on Adams State campus in Alamosa, and in Pueblo on Southern

Colorado State campus; Reps from Mesa College,

Grand Junction and CSU also present and showed

interest in starting centersGazette Telegraph February 19, 1973 Thousands of Law Discussion of the ERA


Changes Needed if ERA Ratified

legislation

Gazette Telegraph February 20, 1973Women Have Been Trying for the ERA Since the 1800's

Provides some national history of the ERA

amendment movement

Gazette Telegraph April 13, 1973 Bureau Destroys Myths

provides statistics on women in the workforce

Gazette Telegraph April 13, 1973Enforcement of

ERA Discussed by Panelists

Describes equal pay legislation and the

continuing problem of equal pay versus discrimination

Gazette Telegraph April 13, 1973Local Employment Discussed Through

Afternoon Panel

VNB center helps sponsor a panel discussion on affirmative action

Gazette Telegraph April 13, 1973 Specifics of ERA discussed

Blanche Cowperthwaite, associate of Virginia Neal

Blue, discusses the problem of unequal pay in Colorado

Gazette Telegraph January 24, 1975 SpotlightsLawsuit filed against Mountain Bell for sex

discrimination

Gazette Telegraph January 20, 1976

Commission on Women Gives Money Back to

State

Budget Committee considered de-funding the Commission on Women in

1975; gave the COW $18,000 for a study to uncover employment

discrimination; COW did so successfully and under-

budget.

Gazette Telegraph July 25, 1976Women Laborers

Increase

Gives statistics: approx 40% of all job-holders are

women.

Gazette Telegraph March 20, 1977Mrs. Lamm Seeks

Personal Goals

Dottie Lamm works on Colorado Commission for

Women

Gazette Telegraph August 7, 1977

New Law Gives Single Women

Financial Credibility

Describes recent changes to credit laws, making it easier for women to obtain credit

in their own name.

Gazette Telegraph August 9, 1977

New Women's Option Center

Hopes to Become a One Stop 'Help'

Shop

Describes the Women's Option Center staff working with VNB Colo Spgs staff to produce a comprehensive

survey of local needsGazette Telegraph November 10,

1977Women in Action

[title partially article discusses female

board membership


unreadable]

Gazette Telegraph February 5, 1978Colorado Women

Lay Plans for Equality

Gazette Telegraph November 12, 1978

New Confidence for Displaced Homemakers

Describes problems faced by women suddenly

needing employment and how the WRA helps them

Gazette Telegraph November 1, 1984Help for Displaced

Homemakers

Describes clients and their success in the displaced

homemaker program

Gazette Telegraph April 28, 1987

Women's Resource Agency's new office reflects

new scope

WRA now counseling all clients looking for work,

regardless of income; offices moved

Gazette Telegraph November 11, 1994

Foundation Awards Grant for Job Assistance to

Women

Describes grant awarded by Women's Foundation of Colorado; WRA gets part

Gazette Telegraph September 9, 1995

Japanese seek a cure for social ills/ family problems prompt a visit to Springs agency

Describes WRA counterparts from Japan coming to USA

to compare/get ideas

Gazette Telegraph September 9, 1995

Japanese seek a cure for social ills/ family problems prompt a visit to Springs agency

WRA gets visit from counterparts in Japan;

Japanese social workers getting insights

Gazette Telegraph April 17, 1997 Set to Succeed Describes success stories of several WRA clients

Gazette Telegraph April 14, 2002 30th Anniversary

Description of 30th anniversary

brunch/celebration at PPLD for the WRA

Gazette Telegraph August 9, 2002Metro [news

briefs]

mentions WRA receiving $15,000 grant from

Women's Foundation

Gazette Telegraph March 26, 2004 Group Honors its Founders

1st Annual VNB awards held at Colorado College

Gazette Telegraph April 3, 2005 New Director Joins WRA

Mentions arrival of Cindy Walters, new WRA director

Gazette Telegraph May 28, 2006Firefights Strut for

Success

mentions firefighter models benefitting WRA Dress for

Success programGazette Telegraph January 31, 2008 Help Others, Earn

a DiscountMentions Gloss boutique

giving discount for


donations to WRA

Gazette Telegraph February 18, 2008A Boost for

Women Moving Up Career Ladder

Mentions WRA expanding to help women finder better

jobs, not just jobs

Gazette Telegraph January 11, 2009Agency Thanks Volunteers who

Help Women

Home depot donates services to redecorate WRA boutique shop; volunteers donate 2250 hours, saving

$30,000.

Gazette Telegraph March 15, 2009Fireman and

Fashion Come to the Rescue

firefighters model/auction dates at dinner; benefits WRA Dress for Success

program

Gazette Telegraph April 6, 2009Dress for Success Clothing Draws a

Crowd

Describes WRA public clothing sale

Gazette Telegraph May 9, 2010Fireman Open

Treasure Chest for Resource Agency

Describes Fashion to the Rescue event dinner to

benefit WRA

Gazette Telegraph October 31, 2010 Chefs Auction Big Help for Tiny Ones

Gazette Telegraph December 6, 2010 Yoga Benefit for Women's Agency

picture with caption

Gazette Telegraph January 30, 2011 Annual Holiday GenerosiTEA

description of holiday bazaar, afternoon

tea/discussion for WRA benefit

Gazette Telegraph April 17, 2011Generosity

Fashionable at Runaway Event

description of Fashion to the Rescue dinner benefit event

Gazette Telegraph December 25, 2011

Women's Resource Agency

Hopes and Dreams Breakfast

picture with caption descibing Hopes and

Dreams breakfast

Gazette Telegraph April 17, 2012Rally Will Folcus on Pay Gap Between

Women, Men

describes WRA holding Equal Pay Day rally

Gazette Telegraph July 28, 2012Women's

Resource Agency Names Director

describes Beth Roalstad stepping down and

Rosemary Pierce taking WRA director spot

Gazette Telegraph January 17, 2013Agency Switches

to Suit Up for Success

describes name change to Dress for Success program; services remain the same

Gazette Telegraph March 16, 2013 Marts Will Head Agency

describes new WRA director Melissa Marts on board

Gazette Telegraph July 6, 2013 Agency Seeks describes WRA seeking


Wider Reach

more regular schedule to events, parting ways from

Dress for Success affiliation to allow for more flexibility in programs; describes WRA

wanting to start social enterprises

Gazette Telegraph October 10, 2013Agency Seeks to

Empower Women, Girls

Hewlett Packard Newsletter March 1, 1983

Hewlett Packard Makes Donation

brief article describing donation of HP equipment

to WRA

Imagen Latina August 1, 2000

Primera Graduacion de Latinos (First

Graduation of Latinos)

Pictures and captions in Spanish noting the WRA

participation/collaboration with the SBA on offering a

course in business ownership

Rocky Mountain News December 11, 1973Women Join

Forces to Seek Common Goals

Describes the opening of the Denver VNB center

Rocky Mountain News April 1, 1976Center's Good

Record Can't Keep Doors Open

Describes the temporary closing of the Denver VNB

due to budgeting issues


Annotated Bibliography

Roberts, Jennifer and Melissa Marts. Program Administrator; Executive Director Kim Hicks

and Hazel Lehtonen. 1 November 2013.

Hazel and I conducted an interview with Ms. Roberts and Ms. Marts on November 1, 2013.

As the Program Administrator and Executive Director at the Woman’s Resource Agency,

interviewing the two women provided us with detailed information regarding the different

programs WRA offers. It was helpful to hear that not only does the agency help women

prepare to enter, or reenter, the workforce, they also offer an Intercept Program aimed at

junior high and high school aged teens who are at risk. This information was significant for

us as we began our research project as it gave us baseline knowledge to work with.

Training & Support. n.d. 11 November 2013.

<http://www.kcwen.org/training_support/clothing_bank>.

This website provides information on what the Women’s Employment Network focuses on

and how their training programs are designed. The Women’s Employment Network is

located the Kansas City, Kansas metropolitan area and has a very similar approach to

transitioning women into the workforce. The information provided on their website will

allow me to obtain the similarities and comparisons of like organizations requested by Ms.

Roberts and Ms. Marts.

Waldron, Vincent R. and Melissa R Lavitt. "“Welfare‐to‐work”: Assessing communication

competencies and client outcomes in a job training program." Souther

Communication Journal 66:1 (2009): 1-15.

The article published in the Southern Communication Journal spoke to the importance of

providing communication training when working with clients entering or reentering the


workforce. The article stated that 40% of the clients in their study were able to obtain full

or part time employment after receiving communication training thus reducing the amount

of people receiving assistance from welfare services. This article provided insight into

different types of programs available and will allow me to determine if this is a program

the Women’s Resource Agency currently provides. If it is not, this program will be part of

my final recommendation. Additionally, this article provided me with names of agencies

that offered these types of programs which will allow me to conduct further research.

Wardrobe for Opportunity Find a Job. Keep a Job. Build a Career. n.d. 12 November 2013.

<www.wardrobe.org>.

Wardrobe for Opportunity (WFO) is another non-profit organization that assists low

income individuals in the Bay Area (CA) with obtaining interview skills and professional

clothing in hopes of becoming economically self-sufficient. This organization differs from

WRA in that it also provides assistance to men however the information on their website

will be useful for me in comparing like organizations.

Women's Calendar. n.d. 9 November 2013. <www.womenscalendar.olrg/Themes.asp

This website is a conglomerate of several different holidays throughout the year that are

focused on women. I will use this website in my recommendation of the calendar of events

for the Women’s Resources Agency. From the recommendations, I will also provide ideas

on how to celebrate each of the holidays.

Aldridge, Dorothy. "New Confidence for Displaced Homemakers." Gazette Telegraph

[Colorado Springs] 12 Nov. 1978, Lifestyle sec.: n. pag. Print.

This is the oldest article found in local newspapers regarding the beginnings of the

Women’s Resource Agency. By the time this article was printed, the agency had been in

existence for six years already and had changed its name from The Virginia Neal Blue


Center for Women. This article presents stories of the center’s early clients, the challenges

they faced and how the center was helping them overcome these challenges.

Bahr, Stehen J., and Shirley S. Ricks. "Increasing the Economic Wellbeing of Separated,

Divorced and Widowed Women Over Age Thirty." Policy Studies Review 8.3 (1989): 689-

703. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

This article provides background information on the Comprehensive Employment Training

Act (CETA) and its replacement, the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) legislation. It

further elaborates on the background of economic problems experienced by women and

the potential solutions to these problems. This article evaluates the effectiveness of the

CETA legislation. The authors of this article examined studies which indicated that the

effect of the CETA legislation had the greatest impact on the lowest incomes. I plan to

compare this with internal documents from the WRA to compare their effectiveness with

the effectiveness of other related social agencies as a whole.

Belgum, Deborah. "Women's Resource Agency New Office Reflects New Scope." Gazette

Telegraph [Colorado Springs] 28 Apr. 1987: n. pag. Print.

This is an excellent old article in the Gazette which describes the changes that the Women’s

Resource Agency had undergone during the years, from serving low-income women, to the

expansion and beginnings of the displaced homemaker programs, to expansion to include

any and all women looking for work.

Colorado Commission of the Status of Women. Rep. Denver: Trades, 1965. Print.

Although this report was written before the Women’s Resource Agency came into

existence, it shows Governor Love’s directive to determine what obstacles women faced

and the commission’s recommendations for overcoming those obstacles. This eye-opening

article reveals both worker and employer attitudes during this time period. When I read


through survey responses from employers, it became clear to me how much discrimination

women faced during the time. The women’s responses provided a good understanding of

their economic challenges. Incidentally, Virginia Neal Blue was the chairman of this

commission. This information makes it clear why the WRA was originally named in her

honor.

Hauser, Susan G. "The Women's Movement in the 70's, Today: 'You've Come a Long Way,

But..'" The Women's Movement in the '70s, Today: 'You've Come a Long Way,' But ... N.p., 15

May 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://www.workforce.com/articles/the-women-s-

movement-in-the-70s-today-you-ve-come-a-long-way-but>.

This article provides factual information such as dates and legislation were passed but also

compares this information to the current status of women. It provides an excellent sort of

summary of this legislation, along with a comparison of how effective or how ineffective

this legislation has been. There are also excellent references and current statistics as well.

"History." Womens Resource Center. N.p., 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. <http://womens-

resource.org/whoweare/history/>.

This website provides brief, historical information on the Women’s Resource Center that

provides services for Larimer County in Northern Colorado. From this, I learned that this

agency was originally the Virginal Neal Blue Center – Fort Collins Chapter. Similar to the

WRA of Colorado Springs, all of these agencies appear to have originally been named after

Virginia Neal Blue, the first woman elected to state office in Colorado, who died in 1970.

The website gives brief information about this center’s history which will be used in

comparison with the history obtained in regards to the WRA.

"Interview with Verna Are." Telephone interview. 21 Nov. 2013.

Verna Are was instrumental in the 1978 Women’s Resource Center study. This document is

over 200 pages and is still on file at the Pikes Peak Library District. The report was


tabulated by hand and staff members used this to help determine their focus at the time.

Verna is now in her late 80’s early 90’s and was very hard of hearing at the time of the

interview. The authors were unable to interview her in person before the finalization of

this report. Verna provided a first-hand description of just how much discrimination

women faced in the workforce.

"Interview with Marilyn Kastel." Telephone interview. 21 Nov. 2013.

Marilyn Kastel proved to be the best source of first-hand information from 40 years ago.

Although now in her 80’s, Ms. Kastel had very good memory regarding the beginnings of

the Women’s Resource Center and how it began. She confirmed that her connection to

Dean Parish was a factor in why she was contacted to help set up the Colorado Springs

Virginia Neal Blue Center. She described a passionate grass-roots effort to help women

succeed in the workforce and was pleased to know that her efforts are being continued by

future generations.

Mendes, Kaitlynn. "Framing Feminism: News Coverage of the Women's Movement in

British and American Newspapers, 1968-1982." Social Movement Studies 10.1 (2011): 81-

98. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

This is a broad journal article that covers the news media coverage of the women’s

movement during the late 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s. One of the issues brought up during the

interview with Ms. Marts and Ms. Roberts was the question of how their agency was

viewed and “what was said about them”. This article will not address that question

specifically but will serve to understand how agencies helping women were viewed in

general during this timeframe. More specific information regarding public relations will be

gleaned from local news article archives. This source provides a general and more broad

view.

Women in the Labor Force: A Statistical Portrait. Rep. Denver: Colorado Department of

Labor and Employment, 1978. Print.


This report was prepared by multiple staff members from the Research and Analysis

Branch of the Colorado Department of Labor and provides excellent summary information.

It provides a snapshot of the labor force in 1978, six years after the WRA had been open.

Zawada, Mary A. "Displaced Homemakers: Unresolved Issues." Personnel & Guidance

Journal 59.2 (1980): 110-12. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

This journal article provides background information on the women’s movement as a

whole during the 1980’s and prior. Although it is not specific to Colorado, the background

information is relevant in terms of the general challenges faced by the type of clients that

the Women’s Resource Agency likely encountered during the 1980’s. The article gives good

background information on the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and

other employment legislation that was passed during this time, which was instrumental in

helping to fund agencies like the WRA. This information will be useful in understanding

how the WRA and other agencies like it were first formed and funded.

ResearchProject-WomensResourceAgency

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