Women’s charity raises $28k at launch

NEARLY 200 people flocked to The Pier Geelong last Thursday to celebrate the launch of The Empowerment Challenge.

The charity – which will offer youth specific services to women under 25 who may be struggling in new motherhood – raised a whopping $28,000 for its cause.

One of the initiative’s five co-founders, Shannon Graham, said the event was two years in the making and proved a success.

“Both of the speakers (Lynda Mori and Jules Allen) were raw and vulnerable, showing that with the right support and someone who believed in them, it’s possible to break cycles.

“It was an incredible night. Our aim was 100 tickets sold and we smashed that with 190 tickets sold.”

The Empowerment Challenge hopes to put the funds raised towards establishing a house for women in the region, but Ms Graham said the charity still needed some large donations and sponsorships to get it off the ground. For more information, visit empowermentchallenge.org.au.