Organizers: 2024 Women Aware is biggest conference yet

This was the biggest conference in Women Aware’s 37 years, even before keynote speaker Elizabeth Smart took the stage at 3 p.m. Thursday.

“It’s going great,” said Director Cindy Morgan.

The conference sold all of its 450 regular tickets before the early bird pricing expired, and over 50 more tickets were purchased just to hear Smart. Attendance was so high, organizers were utilizing Black River Coliseum’s second-story seating.

“That was our hope, that the name recognition would draw people,” Morgan noted.

Smart’s presence was “a big draw” this year, said Kelly Wilbanks. This was her second year attending. In addition to the keynote speaker, she and her friends enjoyed shopping and sitting in on informative breakout sessions. Wilbanks had just finished a program by school counselor Ashley Woolard.

“It was very informative. She was talking about younger children, but it really applies,” she said.

Woolard covered many stresses and anxieties Wilbanks sees in her daughter, a college student.

Beyond the learning, Women Aware was a time for Wilbanks and her female coworkers to shop, eat and have fun.

“It’s just a day for us to get out of the office together,” she said. 

Women Aware, Inc. also hosted more booths than ever before. Among the vendors, clinics and other organizations this year were two new nonprofits: Inspire Hope and Days for Girls.

Days for Girls Director Corretta Bishop and a handful of volunteers spent the day showing visitors the menstrual health and hygiene kits they plan to distribute. The kits’ reusable cotton liners, shields, carrying cases and bags are all sewn by volunteers and given to women and girls lacking access to period care. What started as an international effort is now looking inward to serve families dealing with homelessness and poverty — both real needs in Southeast Missouri, said Bishop.

The response was “very positive,” she added. “When people find out about it they’re like wow, I didn’t know this existed.”

Across the Coliseum, Rebecca Hester said Inspire Hope was a program for children “lost in the shuffle” by other resources. 

“We want to remind them of their value and worth, and that they don’t have to bring anything to the table, just themselves is enough,” she explained. It also connects them to mentors with common interests and exposes them to new career options.

Hester had never heard of Women Aware, Inc. or the conference before Bishop — who’s also a Women Aware board member — invited her. Bishop and the board donated space for the fledgling nonprofit, and Hester had a good vantage point to survey the event. The scope was a little overwhelming, she admitted, but exciting, and Inspire Hope attracted interest from attendees.

“We’ve not only exposed people to our organization, I’ve learned about a whole community event we never knew about,” Hester said.

That sentiment was a goal, according to Morgan. 

“A lot of people said this is was their first year coming... If people can see how awesome it is, they’ll want to come back,” she said.

“My biggest hope would be that every woman that attends would feel like they’ve gotten their cup refilled and made some new friends,” she continued. “As women, we pour our cups out a lot and don’t fill them so often.”

Editor’s note: A separate article covering Smart’s keynote address will be posted this afternoon.