Press Releases  |  In The News  |  Awards/Recognition  |  People Are Saying  |  Contact

Press Releases back to listings 

Winner of the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund - January 8, 2008
Michelle Simmons Obalaja Honored with $5,000 Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund Award
January 8, 2008

Philadelphia, PA Resident Wins Cash Award To Expand Post-Incarceration Employment And Mentorship Program


(New York, NY, January 8, 2008) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania resident Michelle Simmons Obalaja, 39, will be starting the new year one step closer to fulfilling her dream of creating a better tomorrow for her community. Michelle was named this week’s winner of the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund, a weekly $5,000 cash award program from Avon Products, Inc. to support individuals in their work to empower women. Michelle will apply her award towards her Why Not Prosper mentoring program for women in the Philadelphia prison system.

The Philadelphia prison system – excluding suburban jails and two state prisons – houses 800 women, and it can be extremely difficult for these women to successfully re-enter society as productive citizens. While there are many post-release programs for men, there are very few for women in the Philadelphia area. The women face the inherent obstacles of being ex-offenders, frequently lack the skills needed to secure and maintain employment, and often struggle with substance abuse and continue in the criminal cycle when faced with no viable options.

Michelle, an ex-offender and recovering addict, was incarcerated from 1994-1999. During her time in prison she was inspired to change her life and help others. After her release in 2000, Michelle and a group of female ex-offenders met in her Norristown, PA home to support one another and share resources for their post-incarceration success. It was here that Michelle decided to create a structured program that could assist more women in the re-assimilation process. The grassroots effort eventually grew into Why Not Prosper, a pre- and post-employment mentoring program offering education on budgeting, parenting, anger management, relapse prevention, health and nutrition, HIV awareness, and computer training.

Why Not Prosper programs reach thousands of women each year at Riverside, Cannery and Muncy prisons, and the two Resource Centers in Philadelphia each provide services to 150 women annually. Participants range from age 18 to 62 and are primarily African American single mothers with a history of substance abuse. The program provides these women with the tools to function as productive citizens, helping break the cycle of violence, poverty and drug abuse, ultimately leading to better tomorrows for them and their families, and decreasing the number of children whose mothers are incarcerated or living with active addiction.

Another important element of the organization, the Why Not Prosper House, offers a six-month residential program, graduating six women each year. Michelle, an ordained minister, explains, “Our mission is to help support women. We achieve this through mentoring in our pre-release and employment programs. We help them build a resume instead of going on welfare. Our graduates are employed, drug-free and reunited with their children.”

The need for Why Not Prosper’s services continues to grow. Thanks to her Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund award, Michelle will be able to expand the program and continue to positively influence the lives of even more women. The funds will be allocated towards training for 40 women to become mentors, and a portion of the award will cover program supplies and mentor recruitment materials.

Michelle’s winning application to the Hello Tomorrow Fund fell under the category of “Community Service,” one of three areas the Fund supports. Her proposal met the criteria to clearly present unique and achievable objectives to empower women or girls and ultimately improve society. It was selected from a pool of strong contenders by an expert panel of judges, including Suze Orman, America’s most recognized expert on personal finance. Of Michelle’s proposal, Orman noted: “I, myself, ran a program very much like this in the early 70’s called, ‘The Other Half.’ There are valid reasons as to why good women go bad, and when those reasons are dealt with and counteracted, true change can come about. The result is: good women become great women. I love this program and Michelle’s proposal. She has made tremendous use of her 39 years on this planet.”

back to listings