On May 10th, the Lutheran Settlement House (LSH) awarded Yasmine Mustafa of ROAR for Good with  the Women of Courage Visionary Leadership Award, and Carole Alexy of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) with the Women of Courage Community Advocate Award. The LSH additionally recognized five inspiring clients who demonstrated courage in the face of adversity and found their way to self-sufficiency.

   Mayor Jim Kenney opened the event, and Councilwoman Helen Gym presented Yasmine Mustafa with her award.

 

   Women of Courage is the LSH’s annual fundraising event. This year, the LSH asked event attendees to support Alice’s Hopeline, a discretionary fund used for emergency domestic violence services. This year’s event featured 328 attendees and 48 sponsors. $34,822 was raised for Alice’s Hopeline, and sponsorship and ticket sales brought in more than $100,000.

  Yasmine Mustafa is a tech entrepreneur and community leader. Championing the underprivileged has been a core part of her identity since her family was rescued as refugees from the Persian Gulf War. Yasmine is the founder of ROAR for Good, a self-defense wearable technology company aimed at diminishing attacks against women and addressing the underlying causes of violence. She also started the Philadelphia chapter of Girl Develop It, a non-profit focused on providing affordable and accessible programs to women who want to learn software and web development.

  Carole Alexy’s career has spanned four decades as an advocate to end violence against women. She was a founding volunteer at A Women’s Place in Bucks County in 1976. She now works for the PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV). In her role, Carole savvily links the world of government funding and regulations with the reality of managing daily life in local programs. Under her care, the PCADV has grown to 60 programs, serving all 67 PA counties.

  Local woman Ruth Zarzicki was also presented with the Spirit Award for her years of work at Lutheran Settlement House in Fishtown. Zarzicki is involved at LSH’s Senior Center and has served as vice president of the senior activities board.

  Established in 1902, the Lutheran Settlement House was founded on the principles of the settlement house movement and originally served communities of newly arrived immigrants. This year, the Lutheran Settlement House will serve over 5,400 Philadelphians through four main program areas: Jane Addams Place, a homeless shelter for women and children; the Bilingual Domestic Violence Program; the Adult Education and Career Development Program; and the LSH Senior Center, which includes an intergenerational farm tended by seniors and local teens.