Women In Transition (WIT) and Gearing Up are thrilled to announce that we are now merged. As a merged organization, Gearing Up will become a program of WIT. Women In Transition’s mission, organizational structure, and services will remain the same.
Gearing Up was founded in 2009 to create a safe, supportive environment through group bike rides where women, whose lives have been impacted by multiple challenges, can enhance confidence and life skills, strengthen physical fitness, and build emotional health. In 2017, after an in-depth strategic planning process, the Gearing Up board and staff reached the conclusion that Gearing Up would be more sustainable as a program within a like-minded organization than as an independent non-profit. Seeking an organization that shared Gearing Up’s core values of empowerment, compassion, and health and wellness, Gearing Up approached WIT about the possibility of a merger.
It was clear to WIT from our first conversations that Gearing Up’s program model of using group cycling as a powerful tool to support people transitioning from domestic violence, substance use, and incarceration was a direct fit for WIT’s core mission. WIT has provided comprehensive counseling services to people experiencing domestic violence and/or substance abuse since 1971. Implementing Gearing Up’s work as a program of WIT is a thrilling opportunity to broaden WIT’s substance abuse services, expand WIT’s provision of mind/body services as part of a holistic approach to healing and recovery, and to provide Survivors with the opportunity to improve their physical, social and emotional health.
Now that the merger is complete, a joint WIT/Gearing Up program team will begin laying the groundwork to relaunch Gearing Up programming.
This merger is the result of a great deal of hard work and effort. We are extremely grateful for the very generous grant support provided by the Greater Philadelphia Nonprofit Repositioning Fund, and the Women & Girls Fund, the Effie May Beckett Fund, the Christine King Fund and the William P. Gest Memorial Fund #2 of the Philadelphia Foundation; to the pro bono legal teams at Ballard Spahr LLP, led by Partner Mary J. Mullany Esq., and Duane Morris LLP, led by David T. Skinner Esq., for their substantial contributions of time and legal expertise; and to Ana Lisa Yoder at Yoder Consultancy and Wendy Epstein at Epstein Consulting Group for their help in guiding us through the decision-making process.
We look forward to welcoming Gearing Up into the WIT family, to relaunching Gearing Up, and to helping to change lives, one bike ride at a time.