Izella Dornell

Who We Are

Jumpstart Your Reentry, dba The Secrets of the Sistership, is a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls.

How we do it

How we do it. We have a holistic approach to creating a trustworthy and strong collaborative circle through education, individual and community engagement, events, and mentoring. Secrets of the Sistership provides community impact services through our outreach programs that includes education, women’s health, essential well-being needs for a cross section of our population (women, children, veterans etc.).

MISSION

The mission and purpose of the organization is to provide services through philanthropic programs that help women and girls dispel the challenges, myths and stereotypes that prevent them from reaching their full potential.

VISION

Our vision is an unbiased society in which women and girls can have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

OUR STORY

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I was so broken and empty with what I witnessed in my city of Houston, TX.  It brought back so many feelings I had experienced through out my life.  Experiences of anger, hurt, helplessness; but, it also showed me who I was: A woman of strength and resilience.  I reached out to three women, 2 of whom had lost property, all of us experienced similar feelings; and, asked them to join me for dinner.  The four of us celebrated each other and vowed to support each other and our city.  Supper Sips and Sistership grew into seven, “The Magnificat 7” and our Founding Sisters.

We begin inviting other women and every dinner was a celebration of each other and we donated to an organization that services women. It was at a dinner one night, I looked around the table and realized just how blessed I was.  I was surrounded by some very strong and influential women; and, I wanted to share that with the world.

I wanted women and girls to experience what I experienced at that table.  In that instant we breathed life into the Secrets of the Sistership. Supper Sips and Sistership, while not quite as formal as it was, still exists; but as a whole we are the Sistership.  The Sistership is a social network with a social conscious.

In our first year we donated over $7,000 to local charities to support programs to assist women.  As of December 2023 we have sown approximately $154,000 into the enrichment and empowerment of women, girls, and the community.

Vicki Semander

Visionary and Founding Sister

who is my sister?

God put this on my heart about a year ago and it has changed the way I look at myself and other women. I began to see every female as my sister. I did not see them as rivals, superior or less than me. That is not to say some were not smarter than me and I them. Some had achieved a level of success I wanted to achieve. Instead of wanting to be them and have what they had; I watched them, I asked to be mentored, I invited them to be a part of my life. The more time I spent with women the stronger I became and the more in tune I was to how perfectly imperfect I was. It is my prayer that this question will resonate with you and transform the way you look at yourself and interact with other women.

How we do it?

A “Secret” is an impactful and inspirational experience about a pivotal moment in your life. That moment you realized you were holding yourself back from living life to your full potential and purpose. It is a thought-provoking conversation, through story, to help identify barriers that may have blocked their dreams or success. Many times the barriers are feelings created by real or perceived events, socialization’s and stereotypes.