Voyage Foundation: Building Pathways to Financial Empowerment, Economic Mobility & Community Impact
Fatima Pérez-Luthi is an entrepreneur, financial wellness advocate, Risk advisor and founder dedicated to creating pathways toward financial empowerment and economic mobility. She is the founder of The Grind Coaching & Consulting, Voyage Foundation, the visionary behind Voyage CFO 4U, an emerging financial wellness technology platform focused on education, coaching, and accessible financial tools for individuals and families, and agency owner of Luthi & Associates, Inc. American Family Insurance.
Through community partnerships, financial literacy initiatives, mentorship programs, and entrepreneurial development, Fatima works to help underserved communities build confidence, stability, and long-term financial health. Her mission centers on creating sustainable impact by combining financial education, innovation, and human connection to empower the next generation and strengthen communities.
Please Join our Zoom Meeting by clicking this link:
Fink Convocation Center, Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center
Washburn University
Human Trafficking Awareness Program - With Keynote Speaker
Lisa Phillips - Jeffrey Epstein Survivor and International Advocate
Thursday June 4th
6pm – 9pm
Topeka Shawnee County Public Library
The Right Track – Sex Trafficking survivors’ stories
CAAHT Club Activities
Rotary Epic Day of Service
Local Rotarians came together with incredible energy and heart for our Rotary Day of Service, making a real impact right here in Topeka. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves to completely revamp the lawn of a women’s and children’s Oxford House, creating a cleaner, safer, and more welcoming space for the families who live there. At the same time, another team brought fresh color and care to the YWCA building through a successful painting project that brightened the environment for the population they serve. Both efforts were meaningful wins, and we are truly grateful to be able to give back to our community in such hands‑on, hopeful ways. This is what service looks like when people show up for one another.
Gratitude and Celebration for CAAHT Rotary
Yesterday, CAAHT Rotary attended the Women’s Fund Luncheon where we were honored to receive the ten thousand dollar grant we applied for. This support means so much to our team and to the women we walk alongside.
We are forever grateful for this funding. It will directly support safe and stable housing for ITC participants, giving women reentering the community a secure place to begin rebuilding their lives. Safe housing is one of the most important steps in creating stability, healing, and long‑term success.
Thank you to the Women’s Fund of Topeka for believing in this work and for investing in the safety and future of the women we serve. Moments like this remind us how powerful collective giving can be and how much change is possible when our community comes together.
Local Rotarians and the End Forced Organ Harvesting Rotary Satellite Club of CAAHT brought the community together for an eye‑opening look at the ongoing human rights abuses exposed in the film. The screening created space for people to confront the realities of forced organ harvesting, the scale of the abuses, and the personal stories behind the documentary’s investigation.
The panel conversation afterward helped deepen the community’s understanding of the issue, offering context on how these abuses persist, the international response, and the role advocacy groups are playing to raise awareness. The discussion also highlighted why education and public engagement remain essential in addressing human rights violations that often remain hidden from global attention.
Rotary International sent a team of seven journalists to Topeka to highlight our Intersection to Care (ITC) Rotary Global Grant. During their visit, they interviewed Rotarians and program participants inside the jail and in the community. They observed several ITC programs, including Movement and Meditation, the Colors of Strength art class, and KU technology class. They also interviewed women at an Oxford House and Mirror Work for Success.
Eighteen Rotarians and community partners came together to assemble 40 Rotary Cares kits for women leaving incarceration and for survivors of trafficking and exploitation. These kits provide essential clothing, health, and personal care items, meeting immediate needs for women starting over with very little.
CAAHT, in partnership with Magenta Girls Initiative (MGI), hosted Healing in Color: Stories of Strength & Hope, a powerful art exhibit showcasing work created by incarcerated women in the ITC trauma-informed art program. The exhibition showcased the transformative process of healing through color, art, and self-expression. 122 attendees enjoyed viewing the art! WIBW was there covering this inspired event and interviewed Jennifer Montgomery, Artist, Rotary Peace Fellow, MGI Founder, and ITC art program facilitator.
Mental health and well‑being play a critical role in both vulnerability to trafficking and survivor recovery. In a recent Hear Me. See Me. podcast segment on WIBW, Patti Mellard, founder of the Rotary Club of Community Action Against Human Trafficking, and Jennifer Montgomery, founder of the Magenta Girls Initiative and Rotary Fellow, discuss how past trauma and other risk factors contribute to exploitation, as well as the warning signs communities should watch for. Their conversation underscores the importance of awareness, prevention, and trauma‑informed support in the fight against human trafficking.
Kansas Legislators Human Trafficking Education Reception 2026
On January 28th, several Rotarians joined International Public Policy Institute for the Kansas Legislators Human Trafficking Education Reception. This event provided the opportunity for survivors, organizations, and professionals to inform Kansas Legislators on the impact Human Trafficking can have. We also had the chance to celebrate the bill HB 2347 passing the house! The passing of this bill increases penalties for buying sex, elevating the offense from a misdemeanor to a felony. Great work to all who have been working tirelessly on this bill!
Featured News Segment & Art Exhibition!
Patti Mellard, founder of CAAHT Club and Jennifer Montgomery, Founder of Magenta Girls Initiative, were guests on WIBW News! They joined Melissa Brunner on the Red Couch to share information about the Intersection to Care program and spread awareness on Human Trafficking during #NationalHumanTraffickingPreventionMonth. To watch their interview, visit this link: https://www.wibw.com/2026/01/27/topeka-rotary-program-supports-survivors-aims-prevent-human-trafficking/. CAAHT Rotary and Magenta Girls Initiative will also be hosting an art exhibit, Healing in Color: Stories of Strength & Hope. This exhibit will feature artwork created by incarcerated women at Shawnee County Jail who've participated in the trauma-informed arts program made possible by Intersection to Care. The exhibit will also feature a film screening of Women Rising. The event will be held on March 19th from 6pm - 8pm and will be at NOTO Arts Center, 935 N. Kansas Ave Topeka, KS. Here is a link to the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17hNKsMS4c/ We hope to see you there!
Preparing for Art Exhibit
On January 14, Rotarians met to tour and secure the venue for the upcoming art exhibit. This collaborative visit ensured the space is ready to showcase the artwork and support a successful community event.
On December 17, Rotarians came together to assemble Rotary Care Kits for women participating in the ITC program. Each kit includes essential items such as leggings, a t‑shirt, hygiene products, and other basic necessities that support women transitioning back into the community after incarceration. These care kits offer comfort, dignity, and a tangible reminder that our community believes in second chances and surrounds these women with support as they rebuild their lives.
On November 19, members of the CAAHT Rotary Club gathered to complete the club’s District Grant project, New Beginnings: Postpartum Kits for New Mothers. The project supports new moms who are facing financial hardship or who may not have strong family support by providing them with essential supplies for recovery and newborn care.
In addition to maternal and child health items, Rotary members also donated infant board books to help nurture early literacy from day one.
CAAHT members were joined by their families, Topeka High Interact students, members of Topeka South Rotary, and community guests. Together, volunteers assembled 50 fully stocked backpacks to be shared with the community.
All kits were donated to the Topeka Doula Project and local hospital maternity wards to help ensure mothers and their babies get a healthy start.
ITC Program presents to Rotary Friendship Exchange
We hosted the Rotary Friendship Exchange team from South Africa for a presentation of our Intersection to Care program at the Shawnee County Jail on Sept 26. Jodi Whitt and Kristen Shook did an excellent job explaining the ITC program and the success of our project at the jail.Two of the women who are participating in the program also spoke about how the ITC program has given them hope and provided the skills they need for re-entry.
Rotarians from South Africa are also assisting women leaving incarceration and were very interested in learning more about ITC.
Service Project at District Conference!
CAAHT Rotary Club members organized a service project for attendees of the District 5710 Rotary Conference to assemble 200 Rotary Cares Go Kits!
CAAHT Rotary applied for three (3) District grants and are excited to announce that we have been awarded all three by the District 5710 Grant committee!!
Grant 1 - Rotary Cares kits for Intersection to Care (ITC) project women leaving incarceration. We will have $3750 ($1250 from our club dues + $2500 from District grant fund) to make 65 Care kits for women participating in the ITC program.
Grant 2 - Dignity Kit Global Grant for girls and women in Uganda. We are contributing $500 of our allocated grant money to Jennifer Montgomery's proposed project in Uganda. This project will purchase sewing machines, teach women and girls to sew reusable menstrual kits and incudes community education. Jennifer will be our speaker at a future meeting and tell us more about this project.
Grant 3 - "New Beginnings - Postpartum Care kits for Mothers." This project will provide necessary items for new mothers who lack the financial means to provide them. As part of this grant, we ask that members donate a small book appropriate for an infant. We plan to make 50 care kits.
On August 7 Rotarians and Intersection to Care (ITC) participants got together to assemble 50 care kits. The kits were then delivered to sites in the homeless community.
2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary!
CAAHT and EFOH had an information booth in the House of Friendship at the International Convention.
For more information watch the Intersection to Care video below about this rewarding program helping women reintegrate into the community after incarceration.
Voyage Foundation: Building Pathways to Financial Empowerment, Economic Mobility & Community Impact
Fatima Pérez-Luthi is an entrepreneur, financial wellness advocate, Risk advisor and founder dedicated to creating pathways toward financial empowerment and economic mobility. She is the founder of The Grind Coaching & Consulting, Voyage Foundation, the visionary behind Voyage CFO 4U, an emerging financial wellness technology platform focused on education, coaching, and accessible financial tools for individuals and families, and agency owner of Luthi & Associates, Inc. American Family Insurance.
Through community partnerships, financial literacy initiatives, mentorship programs, and entrepreneurial development, Fatima works to help underserved communities build confidence, stability, and long-term financial health. Her mission centers on creating sustainable impact by combining financial education, innovation, and human connection to empower the next generation and strengthen communities.
Please Join our Zoom Meeting by clicking this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3026681456?pwd=Y25xRnE2Ty9PNUFUSGJva2dabDZndz09&omn=81329971656
Meeting ID: 302 668 1456
Passcode: 709016
