My work is fueled by the growing trend of 'situational' poverty amongst women throughout the Washington region. And I lead The SOFEI Group in its efforts to empower women to emerge from economic instability through education, training, and development.The SOFEI Group works with women experiencing situational poverty (economic instability) due to divorce, spousal abandonment, illness, job loss, caregiving, or domestic violence. And, since 1999, The SOFEI Group has helped women gain career, entrepreneurial, and financial skills to transition to economic independence.The SOFEI Group offers services tailored to teach (empower) women to "Start Over" to obtain self-sustaining wages to create pathways to economic stability for themselves and their families. Some of the services provided are:1. A twelve-step plan to foster economic growth and independence, 2. Career assessments for women re-entering the workforce or transitioning to a new career, 3. Professional and workforce development training for women seeking to enhance their skills to advance their careers, 4. Business development training for women who want to launch or sustain a lucrative business, and5. IT certification training and testing for women working or seeking career opportunities in the IT Industry.The SOFEI Group is an authorized testing center for Microsoft and IC³ and we provide online workforce and professional development training through our online platform SOFEIOnline (www.sofeionline.org). To learn more about The SOFEI Group, visit www.sofeigroup.org.