UUFSMA: “Women Helping Other Women to Succeed”

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Online Service
“Women Helping Other Women to Succeed.”

Speaker: Guadalupe Alvarez

Sunday, March 28, 2021
10:30 am

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/414604040 

Password: 294513

By Joseph Plummer

UUF Secretary

Women who achieve notable success often receive collateral recognition as extraordinary survivors, breadwinners, caregivers, single heads-of-households, mothers, daughters, leaders, mentors, coaches, and friends. But do those common titles truly identify the secret ingredients behind the careers of successful women? Sra. Guadalupe Alvarez, Guest Speaker for his Sunday’s UUFSMA Online Service, believes such characterizations of success overlook a much more important factor in a woman’s success: other women.

She knows from experience that the key ingredient is no secret at all. The success of women is all about women helping other women. One of San Miguel’s most outspoken and dedicated activists, Sra. Alvarez has worked for years to empower and protect the rights of Mexican women.  Her presentation is collaboration with Ser Mujer of San Miguel de Allende.

One of the most successful businesspeople in San Miguel, Sra. Alvarez is the founder and creative talent behind Penzi Bodas, an internationally recognized wedding and event planning company in San Miguel de Allende, her hometown. She also owns the textile store Maria Brunel: Hand-Made in Mexico, which features design creations and products that combine her love of Mexico’s cultural heritage with the traditions of Europe.

Admirably, her success in business fuels her passion for giving back to the people of Mexico. When a recent earthquake left families homeless in Oaxaca, Sra. Alvarez and her staff of mostly women went to Oaxaca and built houses for hundreds of families. Likewise, when thousands lost jobs during the pandemic, including many women working in the hospitality business, Guadalupe, and Myrna Montes, an SMA professional photographer and doula, formed Amigos al 100 to raise funds for purchase and delivery of food and supplies to families in outlying and affected communities. In this past year, Amigos al 100 delivered 45,000 care packages, more than 8,000 blankets and more than 4,000 toys with funding from many generous donors.

Sra. Alvarez is the quintessential example of what a woman can achieve when empowered to feel courageous and unstoppable. An owner of two successful businesses and the proud grandmother of three young people, she brings as much love and insight to directing donations of time and money into projects for helping others.  This Sunday’s UUFSMA online service will share the story of not only her success but also her ingredients for other women to achieve greatness while working together.  For more information about Ser Mujer, please visit www.sermujersma.com or the Ser Mujer Facebook page.

To participate in our online Sunday Service, visit the Fellowship’s website at www.uufsma.org and click on the Zoom Service button displayed on the home page. If requested, enter password: 294513. Sign-in from anywhere Sunday mornings between 10:15-10:25 am CST.

Through grants and awards, UUFSMA donates at least fifty percent of its budget to support nonprofit organizations that provide health, educational, and environmental services for underserved communities in the San Miguel region. Please support this work by clicking on the website home page Donate button. Now more than ever, your support is essential.

Due to the coronavirus, UUFSMA has suspended in-person Sunday services and other gatherings. A growing collection of previous online services can be found on the UUFSMA’s YouTube channel. Go to https://www.youtube.com/ and enter UUFSMA in the search box. The UU Fellowship welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.