CHICAGO – Volunteers filled the inside of Carter G. Woodson Elementary School in Bronzeville on Saturday for “Lov Day.”
Lov Day is a way to show girls and young women across the city how special they are.
“You go down the line, see the music. It’s lovely. The people are so inspiring and you’re giving back to the community,” Summer Fields with Ladies of Virture said.
To help young women across Chicago feel special, Jamila Trimuel – founder of Ladies of Virtue – started Lov Day during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic four years ago.
“Lov Day is in honor of Black History, but also a celebration of Valentine’s Day,” Trimuel said. “So many of our girls were coming to us around just having feelings of depression, suicidal idiation, social anxiety, and there was just so much going on in the world and we wanted to do something special for them.”
The love keeps pouring out four years later.
To shower girls with some TLC, volunteers from various organizations teamed up to pack 700 care packages filled with goodies like hair and skin products, along with painting kits that will go to girls across the city starting Saturday, and then throughout the month.
“It’s important that we make sure our girls understand that they are seen, heard, loved, and that they are appreciated for their unique gifts and their strengths,” volunteer Catriese Henning said.
Trimuel started Ladies of Virtue 14 years ago. Now, with 23 program sites across the city, the non-profit mentoring program empowers Black girls and young women ages 9 to 24 years old to develop career, character and civic skills.
“We’re teaching girls how to be professional in the workplace. What does it mean to be a young Black girl entering the field of their potential careers?” Trimuel said.
Fields, a junior at Kenwood Academy, has bene with Ladies of Virtue for four years. She thanks her mentors for building her confidence and equipping her with the tools needed to lead.
“Ever since I’ve been in the program, they have instilled confidence in me. Compared to when I first joined to now, I’m more open and I’m more outgoing,” Fields said. “I’ve done nothing but grown. I’ve done college tours, career explorations. I got the chance to network.”
Ladies of Virtue first started with girl girls and currently serves 2,000. As they grown, Trimuel said she’s looking for more mentors.
