Women Veterans Making a Difference With Young Girls

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Mentoring Girls, Creating Leaders

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Our Story

Founded in 2015, Caprecia Cares is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization aimed to empower and enhance the lives of at-risk girls in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. The program is built on a strong partnership with Women-Veteran mentors.

Our goal is to foster positive motivators to equip girls with the tools to help them achieve their educational and personal goals. The program curriculum focuses on self‑esteem, self-confidence, self-worth, self-respect, and life skills. By investing in the lives of  young girls and encouraging and supporting their visions for the future, we are uplifting the quality of life for all.

Why the Need

Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.  Here are a handful of statistics that tell us how important mentors are for youth. 

7% of young women from low-income families have a child by age 18, compared to only 1% from high-income families. (source)

Nearly 40% of children in the United States live in low-income families with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. (source)

The top 5 US states with the most homeless youth are Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, and Washington D.C. (source)

Students who live in communities with high levels of poverty are 4x more likely to be chronically absent. Reasons for this include unstable housing, unreliable transportation, and a lack of access to health care. By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school. (source)

2,795 girls will get pregnant

15,000 teens will try drugs for the first time in their lives. Unfortunately, many will become addicted and get involved in crime to fund their addiction

3,500 teens will run away from home because they are being physically or sexually abused or live in an otherwise dysfunctional household 

The good news is that data also suggests that youth who are mentored are:

27% less likely to begin using alcohol 

37% less likely to skip class

46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs

52% less likely to skip school, are more confident in their academic performance, and get along better with their families.

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Who we Serve

Caprecia Cares partners with families and schools in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. Our program is uniquely tailored to meet the needs of each girl. Previous partnership in the community includes Charles-Hart Middle School, Maya Angelou Public Charter School, and Whittier Education Campus in Washington, D.C.

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Issues Girls Face

Let's face it, it’s hard to be a girl. Girls and boys deal with many of the same issues; however, there are certain issues unique to the experience of growing up as a girl in this society.  Girls today are exposed to sexual violence and abuse, domestic violence, relationship violence, unplanned pregnancy, drug use and abuse, direct and indirect gang involvement, involvement with the criminal justice system, poverty, influential media exposure, unrealistic and unhealthy body expectations, and inhibiting gender expectations.

The alarming statistic that one out of every six women in America will be a victim of sexual assault sometime in her life, as noted by Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network, is motivation enough to pay attention to girls.

Become a Mentor

Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter.

Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. Yet one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset.