ACTION PLANS

“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” Mt. 10:8

GIVEN alumnae take what they have learned at the leadership forum and leave with an Action Plan in hand. That plan is meant to put their gifts in service of the Gospel within a particular community.

The Action Plan can be large- or small-scale, but all Action Plans are new initiatives that benefit others. Through their attendance at the Forum and participation in GIVEN’s year-long leadership training program, cohort members each learn how to activate the gifts that God has given them and offer the gift that only they can give.

Here are a few samples of GIVEN Forum Action Plans.

Behold “My action plan was to do a 5-week program on praying with art, particularly on the theme of the feminine genius. I found praying with art transforming in my own journey with God and wanted to share that with others. Since GIVEN, my action plan has turned into a full-time mission. I founded an organization called Behold, which has published a guide to the practice of “visio divina” and provide workshops in parishes and in our online community.” Katie woltornist, given '16 BEHOLD < > Catholic Mental Health "My Action Plan was to begin a nonprofit dedicated to empowering mentally ill individuals to seek support by providing financial assistance while mobilizing Catholics to respond to mental health needs. I’ve lived with mental illness my whole life, and I firmly believe that mentally ill people have a special place in the Church and in God’s plan. Catholic Mental Health is truly the fruit of a struggle blessed by our Lord." Sophia Swinford, given '19 CATHOLIC MENTAL HEALTH < > The Catholic Woman “The Catholic Woman nonprofit organization is a storytelling platform with the mission to illustrate the many faces and vocations of women in the Church by publishing stories from Catholic women of all walks of life to show millennial Catholic women that there is a place for them in the Church. Our reach is over 70,000.” corynne Staresinic, given '16 THE CATHOLIC WOMAN < > Eden Invitation “More than a ministry, Eden Invitation is a movement. We provide community & formation for young adult Catholics who experience same sex desires or gender discordance and are striving to be disciples of Christ. So many people on the LGBTQ spectrum don’t feel they have a home in the Catholic Church. We hope the witness of Eden Invitation shows otherwise!” ANNA CARTER, GIVEN '16 &
SHANNON OCHOA, GIVEN '19 EDEN INVITATION < > FemCatholic “My GIVEN action plan was to create a platform to reconcile the messages of empowerment in feminism with the truth of Catholic teaching. The three-fold goal of FemCatholic is to educate people on what the Church actually says about women, encourage women to explore the tough questions with how to live out Church teachings, and empower women to bring their feminine gifts to the Church and the world.” SAMANTHA POVLOCK, GIVEN '16 FEMCATHOLIC < > FIERCE Athlete “My GIVEN plan was to form and launch FIERCE Athlete Inc. FIERCE Athlete (Femininity, Identity, Embodiment, Receptivity, Catholicism, and Encounter) exists in order to promote true and authentic femininity within female athletics based on the teachings of the Catholic Church.” samantha kelley, given '16 FIERCE ATHLETE < > Magdalen Project "The Magdalen Project recognizes that every woman has a story. Inspired by our patroness St. Mary Magdalen's conversion, we share women's stories of transformed shame. By giving a platform to the ways the Lord has encountered other women's shame and resurrected it, we hope to inspire other women to let the Lord into the dark places of their heart and to empower them to reach out to their sisters in true vulnerability. Together we can step out of the darkness of shame and into the Light of Christ." ANN GENNARO, GIVEN '19 THE MAGDALEN PROJECT < > Managing Your Fertility “I founded and launched Managing Your Fertility as a ‘one-stop shop’ for individuals and couples to learn about the basics of reproductive health and the variety of NFP methods available. Managing Your Fertility is a resource for individuals and couples to review reproductive health science, criticisms and praise of specific methods, and research on the topic at large.” bridget busacker, given '16 MANAGING YOUR FERTILITY < > No Greater Love Festival “I put on a music and arts festival in the spirit of the Florida Martyrs to offer relief to Christians in the Middle East called the “No Greater Love Festival,” which had over 500 attendees. Together we donated $31,704.25 to the Knights of Columbus’ Christians at Risk initiative. Additionally, a Native American community was so impacted by their experience that 30 of their people returned to the Catholic faith of their martyred ancestors.” mary catherine damon, given '16 NO GREATER LOVE FESTIVAL < > Pray Like a Girl "Pray Like a Girl is a YouTube channel for young women seeking sainthood. As young women discern God’s will for their lives and future careers, we are grateful to share with them the light that women in every career path and vocation can bring to the world. We highlight the stories of women boldly living out their faith in the real world, dwelling on the passion that God has given us to contribute to His Kingdom." kathleen loesel & Kelly griffith, given '19 PRAY LIKE A GIRL < > The Visitation Project "The aim of The Visitation Project is to grow a group of volunteers to visit those who are isolated and lonely. St. Teresa of Calcutta said: “We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.” In my work as a nurse, I often see the consequences of loneliness and hopelessness in the lives of my patients. My goal with The Visitation Project is to have volunteers imitate Mary who ran to Elizabeth when she was in need, and offer time and friendship to those who are isolated for reasons of health, age or life circumstances." claire brown, given '19 < >

Slide “There were so many examples of women in the Church living vibrantly through different vocations. As a single woman with a career in business, being present at GIVEN opened my eyes to see that God can do anything with your 'Yes' if you give it to Him.”