An Evening of Compassion

The event, at J-Jill clothing store in Little Rock, kicked off a new program called "Women at Work".

The program is being developed by Our House, a group that helps homeless families get on their feet. It does this in part through job training, and housing.

The idea behind this mentoring program is to match women going through tough times with other women who are thriving professionally.

On the surface, some of the women in this room seemingly have little in common.

Debi Barnes owns Turtle Cove Spa, at Mt. Harbor Resort in Mount Ida.

"Business is good considering the economy," says Barnes.

Patricia Hall says she recently ran from drug and physical abuse to a homeless shelter. "I just need a way out and my mother's house wasn't going to be my way out again," says Hall.

They were each at J. Jill clothing store in Little Rock to be a part of Women at Work, a new program trying to pair homeless women entering the workforce with women already flourishing in it.

"I've made it a goal of mine to always try to help women succeed," says Barnes.

"I would love to have a mentor," says Hall.

Working with homeless people daily, Our House Executive Director Georgia Mjartan says she saw a void that needed to be filled.

"I hope the women who come to volunteer will be inspired by the women in our program and I hope the women in our program will be lifted up and guided by the women who volunteer," says Mjartan.

Once the women are matched, the plan is they'll meet weekly and talk about things like going back to school, and landing a job.

"I'd like to be an RN," says Hall.

Mjartan predicts the women will learn from each other and see they're not so different after all.

"You don't even realize sometime that you've made a difference to somebody when they come back and say you helped me and there's nothing better than that, and especially women," says Barnes.