Photo - Denise Bethea-Snell
By Lin Green
Columnist
Some of the most powerful moments in life happen in rooms where no one is pretending to be perfect.
That was the atmosphere at a recent luncheon hosted by the nonprofit organization Women With a Righteous Cry. If you walked into the room expecting polite conversation and small talk, you would have quickly realized this gathering was something else entirely. Instead, it was a space filled with honesty, testimony, and the kind of sisterhood that makes you laugh, reflect, and occasionally reach for a tissue all in the same moment.
And honestly, in times like these, spaces like that matter more than ever.
Let’s be real: the world feels heavy lately. People are navigating financial strain, emotional exhaustion, spiritual fatigue, and the quiet pressure of trying to hold everything together while life keeps moving. In a season where many people are simply trying to make it through the week, it can feel easy to believe you have to carry your struggles alone.
But organizations like Women With a Righteous Cry, founded by Denise Bethea-Snell, remind us that no one was meant to walk through hardship in isolation.
During the luncheon, several women stepped up to the podium not with polished speeches, but with real stories. Stories about loss, healing, rebuilding, and the courage it takes to keep showing up for life after difficult seasons. The room responded in the way powerful communities do … heads nodding in understanding, applause rising in encouragement, and women quietly affirming one another’s strength.
Women With a Righteous Cry was born during a season when its founder was navigating her own personal struggles and realized something profound: the pain she carried wasn’t hers alone. When she chose transparency over silence, she discovered that many other women were silently carrying their own burdens. What began as one woman’s cry became a community where other women could find healing, validation, and hope.
The heart of the organization is beautifully simple: accept women exactly where they are. No titles required. No perfect stories necessary. Just real women navigating real life together in a space where they can be seen, heard, and supported.
And perhaps that is what makes their gatherings so impactful. The women sharing their testimonies are not distant motivational speakers. They are everyday women who have faced grief, trauma, hardship, and uncertainty. When someone who looks like you, lives in your community, and understands your struggles stands up and says, “Healing is possible,” hope suddenly becomes contagious.
Success for this organization is not measured by headlines or numbers. It is measured in quiet breakthroughs. Moments such as when a woman who once sat silently begins to find her voice, when someone chooses healing instead of hiding, and when pain slowly transforms into purpose.
Of course, like many grassroots organizations doing deeply meaningful work, resources are always a challenge. The mission of Women With a Righteous Cry is rooted in accessibility, ensuring that women can receive support without financial barriers. That means the work continues through the generosity of volunteers, community partners, and donors who believe that healing spaces should be available to everyone.
Which brings us to a simple but important question: how can we support the hands that are already reaching out to others?
Women With a Righteous Cry welcomes volunteers who want to serve. From helping organize events to offering wellness services, mentoring, or assisting with outreach. Donations help sustain workshops, gatherings, and programs that create safe spaces for women to process life’s challenges and rediscover their strength.
In a world that often feels overwhelming, sometimes the most powerful response is community.
Sometimes it begins with one woman being brave enough to share her story.
And a circle of women courageous enough to answer the cry.
