Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007
by Laura C. Jackson | Special to The Gazette
When Jacqueline Duncan honored eight guests at her Girlfriends Birthday Spa Party on Aug. 12, she threw in the works: massages, cake, dinner and roses.
‘‘I just wanted to treat them special,” said Duncan, founder and president of the Sisters Enhancing Sisters Networking Fellowship. ‘‘One of the recipients flew in from Houston for the event, and she just cried and cried. No one had ever given her roses before.”
The birthday party is just one example of how this organization seeks to encourage and elevate women. Last year SES gave $1,000 to help a Hurricane Katrina victim rebuild her hair salon, her source of livelihood.
‘‘It was an emotional event,” said Duncan, who lives in Bowie. ‘‘We had other nominations, and we wanted to bless them all, but we had to choose the best one.”
In October SES will recognize outstanding women in Prince George’s County through its fourth annual Phenomenal Woman of the Year award. The award highlights women for their leadership, achievements and community service, particularly those acts of kindness that tend to go unnoticed.
Previous recipients have included lawyer Janice Davis-Steele, who organizes women’s Bible studies and conferences, and businesswoman Rose Slade, who creates projects to assist women in need.
‘‘All of our previous winners have a desire to help women,” Duncan said. ‘‘They’re out there trying to reach women and build them up.”
Although SES sponsors the award, staff and volunteers don’t choose the winners. For this year’s program, Congressman Albert Wynn will review the nominations and select the winner. Also during the event, an outstanding man in the community will receive the first Leader of the Year award from Men of Purpose, a brother organization founded by Duncan’s husband, Phillip.
Sisters Encouraging Sisters began in February 2001. While she was home recovering from surgery, Duncan came up with the idea of bringing women together in her home for conferences and workshops. About 25 women attended the first event.
‘‘We gave out nametags just like it was a seminar,” she said.
Since then, SES has sponsored workshops throughout the county and the District. A doctor spoke to a group about the importance of mammograms and breast self-exams. A teacher offered advice on how to raise a responsible teen. One session focused on life after divorce. Other events highlighted marriage, investing and business ownership.
Workshops help women network and gain valuable information, Duncan said.
‘‘We empower them with knowledge,” she said. ‘‘Some women want to own businesses, for example, so we give them the tools they need.”
Other women benefit from emotional support. Domestic violence, for example, is one of the primary challenges for county women, Duncan said.
‘‘So many are going through it and getting harmed,” she said. ‘‘We encourage them to get help.”
And after experiencing the deaths of two friends who had breast cancer, Duncan has made breast cancer research a major platform for the organization.
For still others, the biggest issue simply is learning to leave the past behind.
‘‘Women have hurdles in their lives that they’re trying to overcome,” she said. ‘‘They’ve experience emotional damage, and they need an extra boost to get to that next level and be a success.”
Regardless of the need, Duncan offers guidance and support from the heart.
‘‘One participant said she’s learned how to be a classy lady,” Duncan said. ‘‘Women are learning how to be generous and care for others. We love them so they can go out and do good things for others in life.”
Jacqueline Duncan
How she makes a difference: Duncan is founder and president of the Sisters Enhancing Sisters Networking Fellowship. The organization is accepting nominations through Sept. 30 for its Phenomenal Woman of the Year award, which will be given in October. Visit www.sistersenhancing.org or call 301-221-2142.
