Because of the community-driven approach and self-sustaining financial model of Strong Start, this program has the potential to serve as a national blueprint for strengthening maternal care and equity. When you donate to Strong Start, you make a tangible impact in the lives of women and children and help us demonstrate that no bill is more powerful than our community when we commit to caring for each other.

As a husband, I have witnessed my wife work twice as hard in her career to have her voice heard. As a former teacher, I have seen my female students’ experiences invalidated by others within the very system that is supposed to support them. Even with the amount of resilience and determination they possess, the system sets them up for failure. And as a father to a four-year-old girl of color, I fear for her as she navigates a world that is set up to silence her - a world that is unfair and unjust. This work matters to me personally because of them. While work is being done, so much more is needed to increase opportunities for women across all groups in society. This is why Paco’s work is needed. 

As the mother of a young daughter, I don’t want to simply tell her that she can do anything—I want to show her. We have to keep pushing for progress—for ourselves and for the next generation. The work we do now—especially in creating pathways to leadership and power for women—matters more than ever. Without women in positions of influence, we won’t have the voice or the opportunity to create the equitable systems we so desperately need.

Paco Leadership Collective is a collective response to a society that champions competition and celebrates individualism while branding ambitious women as controversial and criticizing their desire for self-determination as selfishness. It’s a creative response to cruel and antiquated systems that penalize poverty, spin profit from pain, reward unearned privilege, and punish the lack thereof. And it’s a courageous response that says we are no longer requesting a seat at the table, we are building our own boardrooms.

By responding to the immediate needs of women impacted by these fires and investing in their long-term recovery, Paco is staying true to our mission of cultivating leadership and collective power for economic justice. Together, we can ensure that these women not only recover but thrive, creating a ripple effect of positive change throughout their communities.

We believe that when women are equipped with the tools, support, and community they need, they don’t just survive—they lead. They create solutions, advocate for equitable policies, and build networks of care and resilience that benefit everyone.