As many of you know, I have long been an ardent supporter of the NYC nonprofit Girls Write Now. (I just stepped down as board chair, after a two-and-a-half-year term, this summer.) Girls Write Now pairs high-need, high-ability girls from all five boroughs with professional women writers as their mentors, and the results are stunning. Girls who are up against every -ism you can think of--classism, sexism, racism (92% of our girls are of color)--are told, "You are important. Your voice matters. You are safe here." Then they are given weekly one-on-one mentorship and monthly craft workshops in a wide array of genres to provide them with the tools they need to tell the stories with confidence, passion, and skill. 40% of New York City high school students fail to graduate on time. 100% of our girls go to college, and many of them are the first in their families ever to make it there. 

Today is #GivingTuesday, and today, I hope you will consider making a donation, large or small, to this life-changing program. Make it in honor of your journey as a writer. Make it in honor of someone else's journey to finding his or her voice. Make it in honor of someone who mentored you, or simply make it in honor of the girls themselves.

If you need inspiration, look no further than these talented, fierce, very brave girls.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kamywicoff/holiday-appeal-2014