APRIL 5, 2025
2025 Multicultural Womens Development Conference
Early Bird Registration begins February 5, 2025
Claiming Our Power:
Owning Our Worth, Shaping Our Future
The 2025 Multicultural Women’s Development Conference will be held at the FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 73 Valley River Ave, MURPHY, NC on April 5th, 2025 from 9am to 5pm. (Doors will open at 8am)
For nearly 25 years One Dozen Who Care has hosted this dynamic conference that features keynote speakers and breakout sessions focusing on topics including education, self-care, health, empowerment, and economic development and sustainability.
Our Programs
Serving far Western North Carolina
One Dozen Who Care, Inc. (ODWC) has sponsored a variety of programs throughout its history. While some programs focused on training youth to be future leaders, others honored our most precious elders on whose shoulders we stand. We hope you are encouraged to get involved when looking at our current programs; and inspired by looking back at some of our past.
Current Programs
Multicultural Women’s Development Conference
MWDC is the only conference of its kind serving western North Carolina. For nearly 25 years it has presented attendees with a wealth of education and development opportunities through workshops, lectures, and demonstrations. Since its inception, it has brought women together to teach self-reliance and self-care skills, build relationships across cultural and racial differences, and increase self-confidence and respect.
Purel Miller African American Book Collection
One Dozen Who Care has established an African American book collection in the Andrews branch library named in honor of a local African America community leader, Purel Miller. The annual “Reading Challenge” is co-sponsored by the Nantahala Regional Library during African American History Month in February. Young readers earn cash awards by reading books in the collection and submitting brief, written reviews. Storytime events held at the library throughout the year also feature books in the collection.
One Dozen Who Care – Prescott Scholarship for Higher Education
The One Dozen Who Care – Prescott Scholarship is awarded each year to a black woman demonstrating the drive and determination to pursue higher education, in order to assist with financial need, and in recognition of her passion toward academic excellence.
In Development
Multicultural Women's Development Programs
ODWC is committed to help empower women not only during our annual two-day Multicultural Women’s Development Conference, but also by providing expanded opportunities to grow, learn, and share throughout the year.
Stay tuned!
Rising Youth Program
Building on the remarkable success of our previous 10-10-10 program, which transformed the lives of countless young people in Western North Carolina, we are launching a new initiative to address the urgent needs of at-risk youth in Cherokee County. This program is designed to empower, uplift, and equip our youth with the skills and confidence necessary to break the cycle of poverty, overcome trauma, and contribute positively to their community.
Our Previous Programs
Elder Dinner/Celebration
ODWC holds an annual multi-racial luncheon to honor the elders of our community. Keeping in touch with and honoring the elders of the community gives ODWC the needed relationships with our older citizens and provides resource material necessary to document history as they have created it.
Small Business Entrepreneurial Program (SBEP)
The SBEP directed at potential youth entrepreneurs was implemented with the potential support of a new constituency of African American men (100 Strong) and other men in the region.
10-10-10 Youth Empowerment Program
This very successful project focused on youth, in an effort to encourage young people who may not be aware of the rich history of the African Americans in America to step into leadership and entrepreneurial positions.
ODWC Small Business Center (SBC)
The Small Business Center (SBC) was an entrepreneurial training site for area residents that included a Latino Outreach Project for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).
When All God’s Children Get Together: A Celebration of African American Church Music and the Lives of a People in Far Western North Carolina
The All God’s Children festival was ODWC’s premiere event in 1998. It is a documentary of local African American history and culture as shown through the voices and faces of the elders and the Black Church.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Storytellers’ Guild
This initial project taught public speaking skills. Instructed by Master Storyteller Janice Inabinett, it developed local speakers for the Chautauqua AVE events for several years.
Chautauqua AVE!
(Andrews Valley Experience), founded by ODWC sponsored the community-wide festival events held biennially in Andrews. This was another program that strongly supported our unwavering mission to strengthen community bonds through education and cultural awareness.
ODWC Newsline
In the past, ODWC has used this publication to highlight its achievements and those of its constituents, publicize its work, announce the Multicultural Women’s Development Conference and raise funds for sustainability.
© 2023 All rights reserved. One Dozen Who Care Inc is a non-profit 501c3 corporation | Mail: PO Box 1044, Andrews, NC 28901 | (828) 557-9702 | Email us