Our founder Amanda Ready met a community of women in Costa Rica whom she found unemployed, with low education, without adequate medical care, living in poverty and victims of violence without long-term support. Having experience working in social services and in the mental health field, Amanda began offering mental health therapy to women to learn about their emotional challenges. After many sessions with the women, Amanda learned that not only mental health support was needed but also food, clothing, health, education and employment opportunities.

 

Amanda spent the next three months in Costa Rica building relationships, gaining trust, creating programs, and empowering leaders who would carry out her vision and eventually execute daily operations.

Upon her return to the United States, Amanda was READY to EMPOWER and founded Ready to Empower (RTE) in 2013 and in 2014 RTE was granted tax-exempt status (501c3).

 

In addition, Amanda created Arbol de Esperanza, an organization based in Costa Rica to work in connection with RTE to empower the community. The creation of Tree of Hope became the first partnership to continue to be guided and supported by Ready to Empower. Tree of Hope stands out as Ready to Empower's pilot model as they seek to expand into other poverty-stricken communities around the world.