Demoiselle 2 Femme (D2F) was founded in December 1994, by Sherida Morrison and Romanetha Looper at Faith Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago. The program was developed to address personal and social problems of adolescent females in the Englewood community and provide them with positive role models that would assist them in becoming successful young women. D2F operated as a self-sustained program for several years through the commitment of a few community partners and a host of dedicated volunteer mentors who serve as Femmes.
In 1997, Demoiselle 2 Femme developed a partnership with the Family Centered Educational Agency (FCEA) located in the south suburbs of Chicago and was adopted as its’ risk prevention program for adolescent females. In 1998, this partnership proved to be successful when FCEA was awarded a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services. This grant allowed D2F the opportunity to transcend the walls of the church and expanded its presence to the south suburban community by operating an after-school program for girls in School District 205 which serves Thornton, Thornridge and Thornwood High Schools. Through additional funding during this partnership, D2F was able to further expand its presence and increase the target number of girls served from 50 to over 100 annually.
In October 2004, Demoiselle 2 Femme spread its wings and soared to new heights by obtaining 501(c)(3) status and becoming a nonprofit organization, Demoiselle 2 Femme, NFP. This move of faith has allowed D2F to train professionals from various organizations in the 3-D Curriculum, develop, implement and expand programs and prepare the next generation of women leaders. Throughout the country D2F has been recognized as a national model for gender-specific programming to girls. Today D2F reaches over 300 girls annually through after school programs at local high schools such as: Simeon, Julian, Fenger, Thornton, Thornridge and a new community- based site at the Bellevue Ministry Center in Roseland, as well as over 300 college students through our College Connection program for continuing Demoiselles.
The success of Demoiselle 2 Femme, NFP is represented in the number of high school and college graduates, professionals including teachers, dentists, doctors and the positive social contributions made by Demoiselles. The current vision of D2F is to build the HOPE Center for Girls in Roseland which will provide social activities and cognitive development programs for girls ages 12-18. D2F is committed to providing young ladies with a life changing experience that will prepare them for life today and a future for tomorrow. Our expansion and positive contributions as an agent of change cause us to believe that the only limitation to the future of D2F is the sky!
