Through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Nonprofit Capital Project Fund administered by Pinellas Community Foundation, eligible nonprofit organizations across Pinellas County received funding to strengthen their capacity and expand services. While the program has now concluded, its impact continues to be felt through projects like this one from EmpowHERment Community Center.
Founded in 2018 by Ambreetta “Ambee” Stephens, the EmpowHERment Community Center began as a small Facebook group born out of personal tragedy. After her family lost their father to suicide, Ambee turned her grief into purpose, creating an online space where women could connect and heal together. That group quickly grew into a network of 700 women across the Tampa Bay area, gathering monthly to discuss goals, self-care, and healthy relationships, and to offer one another support. As those connections deepened, the group moved from Facebook into local coffee shops and restaurants, where members could meet face-to-face to talk through the topics that would empower real change in their lives. What began as a circle of women online has since grown into a thriving 501(c)(3) organization serving women across Pinellas County, with locations in Clearwater and Palm Harbor offering financial wellness workshops, co-working space for entrepreneurs, support groups, and free therapy services.
Central to EmpowHERment’s mission is its Financial Wellness Program, designed to give women the tools they need for long-term economic self-sufficiency. But the technology powering that program was falling short. The laptops used in training sessions were donated, outdated, and unreliable — creating a barrier instead of a bridge. For members already navigating financial hardship, wrestling with slow, malfunctioning equipment only added frustration to an already difficult journey toward stability. With roughly 70% of EmpowHERment’s members coming from underserved communities, the gap in reliable technology meant fewer women could fully access the skills training meant to change their lives.
Recognizing this need, EmpowHERment applied for the ARPA Nonprofit Capital Project Fund, administered by Pinellas Community Foundation, to help close the gap. With this support, the organization purchased 40 new laptops equipped with cameras and Microsoft 365 software, along with four printers — divided evenly between the Clearwater and Palm Harbor centers, giving members at both locations consistent, modern access to the digital tools required for today’s workforce.
The results have reached far beyond the walls of the community centers. As educational institutions increasingly moved online, the new computers allowed EmpowHERment members to continue coursework remotely, ensuring they didn’t fall behind on important educational milestones. Members gained access to online training and certification programs that expanded their skill sets and strengthened their resumes.
Economically, the impact has been just as significant. With reliable computers in hand, women in the program have pursued remote work, freelance opportunities, and online entrepreneurship — turning access to technology into tangible pathways toward financial independence. What once required staff to troubleshoot outdated equipment now allows members to work independently and with confidence.
As Ambee reflects on what she has witnessed: “As women obtain self-sufficiency in finances, mental and emotional wellness, and cultivate good relationships, their self-esteem, character, and leadership improve.” The laptops didn’t just solve a technology problem — they gave her members a real starting point.
For women navigating financial hardship in Pinellas County, access to reliable technology isn’t a convenience — it’s a starting point. EmpowHERment Community Center’s work shows what becomes possible when that barrier is removed.
Inspired by what is possible in Pinellas County? Learn how to establish a fund at Pinellas Community Foundation and put your giving to work: https://pinellascf.org/
