Women In Training, Inc.

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Women In Training Names Dr. LaToya Clark, M.D., OB/GYN at Jackson Hospital, as its New President and Chairwoman 

The Board of Trustees of Women in Training, Inc. has elected Dr. LaToya Clark, M.D., an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, as its new president and chairwoman.

Dr. Clark, who already serves as WIT’s medical director, will continue in that role, adding her new responsibilities as the board’s top leader. She will take over the helm from Barbara J. Wells, Esq., who has resigned from the board after a distinguished year of service.

“I am pleased, honored and excited to lead the board of Women In Training, Inc. into the future as its new president and chairwoman, leveraging my extensive medical education, my talents and my expertise as an OB/GYN with my love of children and my passion for social justice to advance the fight against period poverty,” Dr. Clark said.

Dr. Clark earned her bachelor’s degree at Xavier University of Louisiana – where she was a Rousseve Scholar, representing the top 10 students in her class. She earned her medical degree at The University of South Alabama’s College of Medicine, and completed her residency at Louisiana State University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 

During her academic studies, Dr. Clark received undergraduate and medical school scholarships and appeared on the dean’s list. She has also collaborated with other researchers in the area of obstetrics. Their combined research has been accepted for publication by the Society for Pediatric Pathology and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

In addition to serving as an OB/GYN at Jackson Hospital and Clinic, Dr. Clark is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Additionally, she is the co-owner of Breakthrough Wellness and a majority owner of D.O.T. Construction Services. In her spare time, Dr. Clark enjoys traveling, sporting events and boating.

WIT’s signature program is the WITKITS® Campaign to provide menstrual products and hygiene items to young, low-income people who menstruate. WITKITS® include menstrual pads, soap, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, deodorant, socks, a journal and a hand-made bracelet with a positive message. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, WITKITS® have also included personal protective equipment, such as masks, gloves and bottles of WIT hand sanitizer.  

Last month, WIT distributed WITKITS® to teenagers at TEARS Shelter for Runaway Girls in Tuskegee, Alabama, and to homeless families at the Salvation Army Montgomery. WIT has also given away menstrual and hygiene products to girls in need at Brantwood Children's Home, a home for abused and neglected young people ages 10-20 years; That's My Child, a nonprofit youth organization; New Beginnings Educational Center, an after-school program across the street from Paterson Court public housing complex; Common Ground Montgomery, a nonprofit, non-denominational Christian community organization that focuses on youth development and leadership; and Aid to Inmate Mothers, a nonprofit organization that provides services to Alabama’s incarcerated women and their children. People who receive WITKITS® at WIT distribution events continue to receive products every month.

WIT Virtual Race to End Period Poverty

Women in Training will host its first WIT Virtual Race to End Period Poverty from October 10 to 31, 2020. Leadership Montgomery's Torchbearers Class XII is working in collaboration with WIT to provide logistics and marketing support for the WIT Virtual 5K Race.

The race kicks off on National Period Day, Saturday, October 10, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Blount Cultural Park, 1 Festival Drive in Montgomery, AL. The culminating award ceremony will be held on Saturday, October 31, 2020, also from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Blount Cultural Park.

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To register for the race, or to donate, please visit this page.

The Leadership Montgomery Torchbearers Class X11 members working in collaboration with Women in Training on the WIT 5K Race to End Period Poverty are as follows:

Jada Davis, Team Leader

Kim Bell, EdTech Academy, LLC

Regina Cooley, Leading Ladies of Legacy, Inc.

Captain David James, Montgomery Fire/Rescue

MaryKathryn Fletcher, Alabama Higher Education Partnership

Blake Sanders, Saint James Church

New Corporate Partner

Women In Training, Inc. is grateful to our new corporate partner, Eat Like a Woman, for generously providing Happy Cookie vegan, gluten-free chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies to include in WITKITS. Thank you, Eat Like A Woman, for the healthy treats!

WIT Gives Away Menstrual, Hygiene & 

PPE Supplies at Salvation Army

Photo by Dorothea Ligon-Hawley

Photo by Dorothea Ligon-Hawley

Photos by Jill Friedman

On September 3, 2020, a team of Women in Training volunteers distributed WITKITS for homeless women residing at the Salvation Army Montgomery.

“Period poverty – not having the menstrual products one needs in order to carry out normal life activities such as going to work or school – is hard enough when one has a stable place to lay one’s head, but it is especially difficult when a person does not know where their next meal is coming from or whether or not they will have a place to sleep comfortably and safely at night,” said Adeyela Bennett, vice president and CEO of Women In Training. “WIT is here to help people who menstruate – including those who are in need of shelter – with the products they need.” 

WITKITS® include menstrual pads, soap, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, deodorant, socks, a journal and a hand-made bracelet with a positive message. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, WITKITS® have also included personal protective equipment, such as masks, gloves and bottles of WIT hand sanitizer. Throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic, WIT has continued its mission of alleviating period poverty, while observing the social distancing guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. 

WIT’s signature program is the WITKITS® Campaign to provide menstrual products and hygiene items to low-income people who menstruate. Last month, WIT distributed WITKITS® to teenagers at Tears Runaway Shelter for Girls in Tuskegee, Alabama. WIT has also given away menstrual and hygiene products to girls in need at Brantwood Children’s Home, a home for abused and neglected young people ages 10-20 years; That’s My Child, a nonprofit youth organization; New Beginnings Educational Center, an after-school program across the street from Paterson Court public housing complex; Common Ground Montgomery, a nonprofit, non-denominational Christian community organization that focuses on youth development and leadership; and Aid to Inmate Mothers, a nonprofit organization that provides services to Alabama’s incarcerated women and their children. Girls, women, and non-binary youth who receive WITKITS® at WIT distribution events continue to receive products every month.

Thank you to our corporate and community partners who provide financial and/or in-kind support to help Women in Training (W.I.T.), Inc. provide services.