Women in Crisis Can Turn to Elkridge Center for Help

In the past year, women secured just 10 percent of the jobs in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Labor; the other 90 percent of the 1.3 million positions filled went to men.

For women in Elkridge, there's a new place to turn for assistance, said Lisa Dolce, president of the Pinnacle Empowerment Center.

A certified career coach, Dolce founded the center in December 2009 and opened its doors to the public just last month.

The nonprofit organization offers career and life coaching sessions, financial education programs, crisis intervention and other services to help women overcome obstacles, she said. Services are provided on a sliding scale basis, but Dolce noted that Pinnacle Empowerment Center will work with women regardless of their financial situation.

The idea is to aid women in the midst of drastic life changes, said Dolce.

"Many social services are geared toward treating just the crisis and using a band-aid approach," she explained. "For example, just giving a job referral to someone who has been out of work for some time, has bills piled up, is on the verge of losing their home, with no funds for daycare ... will not lead them to long-term success."

From the unemployed to career changers to women reentering the workforce after staying at home with families, Pinnacle Empowerment Center serves females from "all walks of life," said Dolce, "to put women on the path to long-term success and sustainability."

Later this year, Pinnacle Empowerment Center plans to increase its offerings. "We hope to add entrepreneurship coaching and training services, as we have many women asking for this," said Dolce. She added that the organization is working on putting together a daylong Women’s Empowerment Conference, slated for October, which she said would feature both career and financial experts for women looking to "advance in their careers while building financial security."