TAMPA MINISTRY HELPS LOW-INCOME WOMEN

 Beauty of a Woman Ministries is an organization dedicated to providing resources to women from low-income backgrounds. The ministry, based in Tampa, Florida, is led by Tonia Walker-Singleton.  Singleton has been an ordained minister since 2015. She intends to use Beauty of a Woman, abbreviated as B.O.W., as a way to help women and their families to become spiritually, socially, and economically equipped for a good life. In Singleton’s own words, “B.O.W. is a women organization that aims to help women see their self-worth. We do that by doing one-on-one counseling, seminars, and multiple different programs. We do this to help the woman recognize herself and to become self-sufficient.”

      Singleton got inspired to create B.O.W. after she encountered many women in her ministry who were in need of guidance. Her first thoughts were “ I have all these women come in and having these similar stories. There has to be some sort of way to bring these women together and have me teaching them and helping these women on a larger platform.” After praying about it, she believes God gave her the idea of starting her ministry as a way to service the women who may need it. According to her, she wishes she had a program like B.O.W. while growing up and developing her sense of self.

     Dr. Saul Ivy is a former college dean and professor with an emphasis on non-profit organizations and urban development. Upon learning about the B.O.W. ministry, he agrees that such resources are essential to helping those in low-income communities to flourish, “I think (these kinds of services) are immensely important. A lot of communities would not survive without all of the services she is providing.”