When people enter the office of Girl Talk Inc. in Speedway, they’re surrounded by positive affirmations.
“Hello, gorgeous!” one print on the wall reads. Another says, “Create the things you wish existed.”
That last one is the whole point of Girl Talk, which Executive Director Sonya Cooke founded a decade ago to mentor and support girls in Indianapolis. Over the years, Cooke’s efforts have branched out to supporting mothers, as well as their daughters.
“We know how important the village is,” Cooke said. “It’s important for young people, and girls specifically, to have somebody that they can talk to if they don’t have that close relationship with their mother. That’s what we’re here for.”
The nonprofit’s newest initiative, the Thrive Project, started in January and supports single moms in Indy with services such as financial and career counseling, therapy and help with basic expenses like rent assistance and gas cards.
“If the satisfaction is all my bills are paid, I don’t have to worry about stuff getting cut off,” Cooke told Mirror Indy, “I’m in a mental space where I can make good decisions, not only for myself, but for my children.”
Even though the initiative is for moms, the program really focuses on empowering women beyond their roles as mothers, which in turn will benefit their kids.
For mom of two Kiersten Carroll, the services offered through the Thrive Project allow her to take a step back and focus on taking care of herself and achieving her own goals.
“Oftentimes I’m there for my kids, I’m there for family members, I’m there for friends, but I now need to pour back into me,” she said. “That has definitely helped.”
Helping moms ‘thrive’
As part of the Thrive Project, moms are required to attend semiregular workshops with fellow members and Girl Talk staff.
For Marissa Wills, the meetups feel less like a requirement and more like a fun hangout.
With three kids at home — including a newborn — she appreciates being able to take some time for herself. As part of the program so far, she’s felt especially connected to her therapist, who meets with each of the women in the cohort biweekly.
“The resources that are being offered to us, they’re not just people on the other ends of the telephone,” Wills said. “Although they’re doing their jobs, they don’t make it feel like they’re at work.
“It feels like we’re creating different relationships, different friendships, different sisterships.”
Wills used to be a sixth grade teacher, but she’s not working right now. After giving birth to her son, she’s rethinking her future. It’s always been her dream to open up a restaurant for kids, and she’s hoping the Thrive Project’s resources will help her explore that.
“You have to work to live, to pay bills,” Wills said. “Why not work to pay bills by doing something that you actually want to do?”
Entrepreneurship is a common goal among this group of women, said Donisha Council, who’s providing career coaching services to the cohort.
“When you talk to these moms, they’re passionate about what they’re doing,” Council said. “And a lot of times, you can’t find your passion within the normal 9 to 5.”
As for Carroll, she’s hoping that her career coaching sessions with Council will help her get a full-time job with more room for growth than her current role working as an assistant for a home health company. And she’s also working to promote her side hustle, a customizing business called Kueen K Creationz.
Knowing that she has a space where her needs are front and center is helping her move forward.
“It’s a relief,” she said, “Knowing that I can take a pause and reflect on my life — what I want, what I need and how I push forward.”
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0249.
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