By Julia Train
On Saturday, Feb. 22, the meeting room in the Atlantic County Library System’s Mays Landing Branch was filled with girls and young women eager to learn “all about hair.”
“You girls are the future leaders. You can make change happen,” Valerie Hopkins, founder and CEO of Ladies In Prayer Succeed, Inc. (LIPS), told the girls.
The event was the first of the nonprofit’s “Girls Rising Up” program, which was the name chosen that day by the attendees. After Hopkins provided four choices, every hand in the room shot up to vote for that name when she said it.
Hopkins, a licensed cosmetologist, taught the girls how to braid different designs and create locs, along with the historical and cultural reasoning behind the various styles.
The attendees also started creating artwork that will be completed the following Saturday at the event’s second part. After the pieces are finished, they will be displayed at Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University in Atlantic City.
The program, which is still in its early stages, focuses on building self-esteem, confidence and creativity among young women. Through hands-on activities, the program teaches skills such as hair artistry, painting and jewelry-making.
It also will include an entrepreneurship component where participants will learn to create denim jewelry and hair growth products using various oils.
“The most important thing is for them to understand their creativity, build self-esteem and know that they can do it,” Hopkins said.
Additionally, she plans to incorporate leadership and teamwork by encouraging members to research and teach lesson plans to their peers, preparing them for leadership roles in the future.
Hopkins hopes to expand the program in the future, potentially including younger children and offering health, fitness and STEM education components.
Hopkins found her calling.
In 2016, Hopkins, who moved to the area in 1997 from New York, founded LIPS with a mission to help girls and young women build confidence and navigate life’s challenges through service and advocacy.
As a devoted churchgoer, she found herself yearning to take her faith and implement it with her calling outside the church’s walls.
“I was always a person that attended church services. And the things that God has called me to do, I did not see a place in the church, so I took it outside of the church,” she said.
The core mission of LIPS revolves around serving the community and “putting God’s love into action by helping women and girls and those in need through support and advocacy.”
Over the years, the nonprofit has given back by feeding the homeless, organizing annual back-to-school events and working with seniors to create holiday crafts.
These efforts are fueled by fundraising events, including an annual bowling fundraiser, which will take place on April 26 at King Pin Bowling.
While LIPS is rooted in Christian values, the organization is open to individuals of all faiths, as long as they are committed to the core principles of the program.
“The only requirement you have is the willingness to learn how to become stronger in confidence and self-esteem, as well as creativity,” Hopkins said.
As LIPS continues to grow, Hopkins is eager to find volunteers and mentors who can support the girls’ program.
For more information on LIPS and to learn about upcoming events, including the bowling fundraiser on April 26, visit the organization’s website or reach out to get involved.
