About SOFEI

Column

Ways"For what it's worth: it's never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you find you're not, I hope you have the strength to start over again." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

SOFEI means - Starting Over for Economic Independence and our mission is to empower women of the Washington region to emerge from economic instability through education, training, and development.

Our existence derives from the emergence of situational poverty amongst women throughout the Washington region who have experienced a job loss, divorce, spousal abandonment, unexpected health expenses, domestic violence, or sole parenting. And our work is designed to lead women to their pathway of economic independence and stability for themselves and families.

Our Vision

To serve as a hub for women experiencing situational poverty to receive resources and services to foster their development and growth in their families, careers, businesses, and communities.

Our Philosophy

The SOFEI Group takes service seriously and views service as giving and sharing unconditionally to ensure our clients receive the best services marked by virtue. We believe we will reap what we sow, and our success and rewards will align with the development and growth of our clients.

How We Empower Women to Emerge

Empowering women to emerge from economic instability is the fuel behind the work, mission, and existence of The SOFEI Group. We strive to transform the norms that can impede their pathway to economic independence by providing them with:

Access to professional, workforce, technical, and certification education and skill-building programs that equip women with knowledge and skills to expand their career opportunities and income potential - SOFEIOnline.

Financial literacy training modules that enable women to pursue economic ventures and make informed financial decisions via our Money Smart Alliance with the FDIC.

Facilitate women's access to community-based grants and lending initiatives to allow women to invest in their ideas, ventures, and income-generating activities through our Ambassadors for Economic Independence giving circle.

Provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and career, professional, and workforce development services to help women build skills and confidence to build, transition, or advance in their careers with our InfuseHer Online Mentoring platform.

Foster networks and community support systems that connect women with mentors, peers, and resources for guidance, encouragement, and access to new opportunities through our community events.

Encourage companies to promote and create supportive working environments that value and prioritize gender and wage equality, flexible work arrangements, family-friendly policies, and opportunities for career progression with our partnership with EY Talent Outreach Services.

Empowering women to create pathways to economic stability for themselves and their families requires systemic changes and collaboration across diverse sectors, addressing barriers, creating supportive environments, and providing women with the tools and resources they need to thrive economically.

SOFEI360 Model

Poverty seems to emerge amongst women challenged with situational poverty. And, women faced with situational poverty often have a higher education and reliable resources like their family or a community of supportive people. However, women faced with situational poverty without a network of support, education, and access to resources can experience barriers to elevating themselves and families from economic insecurity.

SOFEI360 Model fits our philosophy that women equipped with education, resources, and support will gain or regain economic independence. And. here's how we work.

Introspection: In order to know where you're going is to examine where you are. Prospective clients partake in an exercise to look within themselves to discover the event(s) which may have led to their current state of being (e.g., spiritual, emotional, physical, or economical). After completion of this exercise, prospective clients will be encouraged to create a vision statement and board to fuel energy toward the new life they want and deserve.

Needs Assessment: Once the vision statement and board are completed, we assess our resources to determine if we would be the best service provider to meet the needs of the prospective client. If we don't, prospective clients are referred to more adequate service providers. If we do, prospective clients are enrolled as our partner through an accountability agreement.

Design: A plan is created to lead to the pathway of our client's economic independence. This plan will coincide with the client's vision board or statement and from their life and career assessment results.
Education: Training and development services are provided based on the client's aptitude, passion, and need.
Personal/Professional Growth: Our clients learn how to establish personal and professional partnerships to eliminate barriers that can impede their goals.
Equip: Clients receive tools and techniques to integrate our services and their partnerships to rise above economic instability.

Navigate: Clients will learn disciplines to work through their challenges to stay on course to reach their goals.
Dedicate: Clients will gain tenacity to stay on their path to economic independence and stability.

Earn: We help our clients secure self-sustaining careers or entrepreneurship opportunities that will eliminate situational poverty and the dependency on government sponsored programs and/or resources.

Network: Teach clients how to connect and cultivate relationships that will foster personal, professional, and economic growth through our community-based events or events hosted by other professional organizations.

Transform: Change is difficult, but necessary for growth and success. Our clients will learn the value of their efforts and our services that can transcend to economic stability.

History

Deborah M. Avens founded The SOFEI Group in 1996. Avens' passion to launch The SOFEI Group grew out of her experience growing up in a low-income home headed by her widowed, disabled mother in Prince George's County, Maryland. At age five, Avens' mother was diagnosed with renal kidney failure and her father died of cancer when she was seven. The disability income Avens' mother received didn't meet basic living and medical expenses. And, Avens recalls spending many heatless winters; bathing with heated water from a hotplate, and going to bed with lettuce and mayonnaise sandwiches.

Avens' mother applied for public assistance to supplement the household income, and this is when Avens discovered the biased attitudes towards women on public assistance; sex discrimination against her mother in a male-dominated career; and sadly, domestic violence from her mother's boyfriend who occasionally helped pay the mortgage.

This life experience is the underlying fuel which gave Avens the notion that women-headed families needed resources and services to create economic stability and independence to avoid reliance of public assistance and abusive partners.

Talking about domestic violence or the inability to pay bills was taboo in Avens' community, so The SOFEI Group was launched to get women and girls to talk about their experiences through Biblical characters during home-based fellowships and newsletters. The fellowships were therapeutic because attendees were taught how to look within themselves to find answers to heal their wounded souls and spirits, and strength to conquer their external challenges. When the home-based fellowships outgrew the capacity of Avens' home, she realized women and girls needed access to spiritual, personal, and career enrichment services to achieve balanced and fulfilled lives and The SOFEI Group evolved from a support group to a nonprofit organization in 1999.

Our Leaders

Tina Flowers - Chair

Ms. Flowers is responsible for guiding and mediating the Board's actions to ensure that the organization's mission, goals, and objectives are being met. Ms. Flowers leads the Board in its efforts in strategic planning, fundraising activities, and program development and evaluation.

Ms. Flowers works for Alston and Bird, LLP of Washington, DC and has over thirty years executive-level administrative support to legal partners and attorneys with major law firms throughout the Washington region.

In addition, Ms. Flowers has extensive experience with nonprofit and community service for nonprofit organizations and church ministries.

Ms. Flowers holds a B.S. Degree in Business Administration from Southeastern University of Washington, DC and a MDiv Degree from Faith Bible College and Seminary of Washington, DC.

Deborah M. Avens - Chief Empowerment Officer

Ms. Avens is the founder and Chief Empowerment Officer of The SOFEI Group. She is responsible for the active management and planning of business for The SOFEI Group. She has combined work experience in system development, testing, and implementation, telecommunications analysis, training and development, workshop facilitation, career counseling, and business and program development. Her professional career includes positions with Management Technology, Inc., American Management Systems, EDS, SAIC, and Keane, Inc.

Ms. Avens is the recipient of several awards: The Editor's Choice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry, Community Service Award for faithful and dedicated community service and Outstanding Client Services Award for outstanding consultation services.

Ms. Avens is a Microsoft Certified Professional, and Certified Software Manager, with an M.Ed. - Concentration in Corporate Learning, a B.S. in Computer Information Systems, and a Minor in Business Management from Strayer University in Washington, D.C.

Tax Advisor - Titus Simmons

Mr. Simmons is responsible for providing non-profit tax advice, completing federal and state taxes, and conducting and completing financial audits.

Mr. Simmons has extensive experience in banking and financial statement auditing and has provided consultant services to individuals, non-profit, and corporations for over 9 years.

He has over 20 years auditing and banking experience in the public and private sectors. Mr. Simmons is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor with a B.S. Degree in Business Administration (Accounting) from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.