2025: A Year of Resilience, Connection and Impact

For nearly five decades, the Women’s Opportunity Center has helped women throughout Tompkins and Onondaga Counties navigate change, overcome barriers and move toward greater personal and economic independence.

In 2025, WOC remained a steady source of support through unexpected challenges—including the loss of our Onondaga County office location to a building fire and changes in public funding. With the support of our partners, donors and community, we continued meeting women where they were and helping them take meaningful steps forward.

More Than a Program—A Place to Begin

WOC is a welcoming starting point for women who may not know where to turn next.

Our whole-person approach recognizes that employment, financial stability, emotional well-being, housing, transportation and access to basic necessities are deeply connected. Women come to WOC for practical help, compassionate guidance and opportunities to build the confidence and skills needed to shape their next chapter.

If you don’t know where to start, start with us.

Support for the Whole Woman

WOC provides individualized, person-centered services that address both immediate needs and long-term goals:

Essential resources: Free clothing, hygiene products, diapers, baby supplies, emergency food, bedding and household necessities.
Personal support: Trauma-informed coaching, confidence-building, goal-setting and life navigation.
Employment pathways: Workforce-readiness education, individualized coaching, professional clothing, job-search preparation and placement support.
Entrepreneurship: Business education, coaching, mentorship and opportunities for women to develop and grow their own businesses.
Resource navigation: Connections to housing, healthcare, transportation, benefits, legal assistance and other community services.
Safety and independence: Personalized support for women navigating coercion, unhealthy relationships and major life transitions.

Creating Pathways to Independence

Our programs help women move from immediate challenges toward lasting stability.

Through Get Ready, Set, Go, women strengthen their confidence, workplace skills and readiness for employment. Ready, Set, Dream helps aspiring entrepreneurs transform their ideas into actionable business plans. Project Amunet provides trauma-informed guidance to women working toward freedom from coercion and unhealthy intimate relationships.

WOC Cares and the Community Closet provide essential resources while opening the door to coaching, education, workforce services and community connections. For many women, receiving a coat, hygiene products, professional clothing or transportation assistance becomes the first step in a much larger journey.

Our Impact in 2025

180 women received personal and professional development support.
63 women became new participants in Get Ready, Set, Go.
18 entrepreneurs participated in Ready, Set, Dream.
28 women received support through Project Amunet.
71 participants were connected with health-related social-care assistance.
159 women made 234 visits to the Community Closet for free essential resources.

Building a Stronger Community Together

WOC’s impact is made possible through collaboration. Local foundations, businesses, nonprofit organizations, volunteers and community champions contribute funding, expertise, referrals, essential items and opportunities for the women we serve.

Together, we are creating a community where women are seen, supported and equipped to move forward with confidence.

Whether you need help, want to volunteer, are interested in partnering with us or would like to invest in our mission, there is a place for you at the Women’s Opportunity Center.

Read The Report