OUR MISSION

Since 2009, we’ve shown youth that they must feed their mind, body, and spirit to achieve success. We are breaking barriers to success through a holistic wellness initiative called "Discover Your Inner Warrior." Each week students learn about topics including, domestic violence, reproductive health, emotional wellbeing, how to apply for college and much more. This program serves teen girls, gender expansive youth and their families with free therapy, free yoga, multilingual mental health training for parents, and 1-on-1 mentorship for the teens. We envision a community where everyone has equitable access to opportunity academically, socially, economically, psychologically and physically. We place healing at the forefront of everything we do. When the most vulnerable members of our community have a space to heal together, working on their needs as individuals, they can mature into citizens that lead our community towards positive change. 

Our staff and board members participated in the programs offered by Athena’s Warehouse when they were in high school. We are aligned with the values of the community we serve, we bring resources to our youth with dignity, equity and without judgment since our leadership team deeply understands the issues our youth face daily. Our very first program was the Prom Dress Project, where we collect gently used formal dresses from women in the community, have the dresses cleaned and then give the dresses away to students. Many of the young women we are serving have low self esteem, and these students have a lot of responsibilities to help their families financially. Thus the, formerly “Be Awesome Be Aware”, now “Discover Your Inner Warrior” program was born. We needed a way to establish a sense of belonging, to show students that they were connected to their community and that their voices were important.

For over a decade we've provided scholarships, workshops, and mentorship for youth ages 14-24. We’re breaking the cycle of poverty with a holistic wellness initiative called "Discover Your Inner Warrior." Each week participants are educated on domestic violence, reproductive health, emotional wellbeing, how to apply for college and much more.

The youth we serve come from low-income households, and according to the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services children that grow up in poverty are highly likely to be exposed to trauma or have Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs.) Children that experience trauma often have low self-esteem. Black girls and women of color experience high rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences(ACEs) such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction particularly those girls who are living in poverty. Children with a higher number of ACEs are more likely to score lower on standardized tests, be suspended or expelled, or even fail a school grade(Felitti, 1998.)

Girls are more likely than boys to have four or more ACEs (Felitti, 1998.) Adults experiencing four or more ACEs are twice as likely to have a heart attack, twice as likely to have severe financial problems, and are six times more likely to have clinical depression. In order to achieve their academic and economic dreams, girls of color need more exposure to positive experiences. Research proves that ACEs do not have to be fatal and can be overcome by introducing positive experiences to children who live in poverty. Positive experiences can buffer bad experiences and when children feel connected to their community, when they know they can grow their social capital and experience positive relationships with adults and their peers then the impact of ACEs can be overcome.

Positive experiences help students regulate their emotions and will increase their resilience academically and socially. Our “Discover Your Inner Warrior” program is all about ensuring students at risk for or already experiencing ACEs have these positive experiences which have been shown to reduce the negative health outcomes of ACE exposure. Such positive experiences include increasing self-esteem, meeting positive role models, viewing one's culture as an asset are core pieces of our weekly curriculum.

At Athena’s Warehouse, we celebrate the power of being yourself! We provide a safe space for youth to explore important topics like healthy relationships, domestic violence, racism, equity, body image, and career planning. We amplify the voices of young women by helping them create films on community issues and encourage them to use art as a form of healing. By practicing yoga our participants begin to connect their bodies and minds. Each year we award scholarships to ensure they can continue their education beyond high school.

Our program participants go on to become leaders in their communities, college graduates, and role models for other young women.

OUR HISTORY

A daughter to immigrant parents, founder Bee Nguyen watched her father work two jobs while her mother, with limited English proficiency and financial resources, raised five girls in an unfamiliar country. Her parents, who fled Vietnam, emphasized the value of education and economic independence. Though she did not follow more traditional career paths encouraged by her family, she discovered within her a talent for entrepreneurship and an innate love for women and girls. Combining these passions, she created Athena’s Warehouse in 2009.

OUR SUPPORTERS

Thank you to the foundations, organizations, and partners who make our work possible.