Friendship Is The New Pretty 2, INC

Empowering Women Veterans, Uplifting Children, Strengthening Communities

Friendship Is The New Pretty 2, Inc. is a nonprofit built from lived experience, compassion, and a powerful belief that every woman veteran and every child deserves to feel supported, encouraged, and equipped to thrive. Through our signature programs, Vet Chat and Friendship Is The New Cool, we are transforming lives, restoring confidence, and strengthening communities in ways that create lasting impact. The Big Give San Antonio allows us to expand this mission, reach more families, and ensure that women veterans and children across our community never feel alone on their journey.

Empowering Women Veterans Through Connection

As an Army woman veteran who proudly served our nation, including two deployments to Iraq, I understand the emotional weight many women carry long after service ends. The transition home can be filled with isolation, anxiety, and the lingering effects of PTSD. The camaraderie that once held us together fades, and too many women find themselves navigating life without the support they deserve. This reality inspired the creation of Vet Chat, the flagship women veteran program of Friendship Is The New Pretty 2, Inc.

Vet Chat is intentionally designed to meet women where they are, no matter where they live. The program is offered as six themed series each year. Every series includes four virtual sessions held every other month, allowing women veterans across the United States to participate without barriers. Each series culminates in a meaningful in person event that brings the theme to life and strengthens the sense of community created during the virtual sessions.

The six themes explored throughout the year include Physical Wellness, Mental Health Wellness, Spiritual Wellness, Financial Wellness, Social and Relational Wellness, and Career and Personal Growth. These themes reflect the real needs of women veterans and create space for healing, learning, and connection in a supportive environment. During each series, participants engage in guided conversations supported by a licensed social worker. Women receive emotional support, wellness tools, life skills development, access to community resources, and financial assistance when needed. Childcare support is also provided to remove barriers that often prevent women veterans from attending.

Vet Chat is more than a program. It is a lifeline. It is a community where women veterans rediscover their strength, rebuild confidence, and form meaningful connections rooted in shared service and shared healing. Through virtual access, women from any state can join us, ensuring that support reaches far beyond San Antonio. Your Big Give San Antonio support ensures that women veterans across the nation have a safe place to connect, heal, and grow. It ensures that every woman who has served knows she is valued, understood, and never alone.

Empowering Futures Through STEM

Friendship Is The New Cool Program

Friendship Is The New Pretty 2, Inc. proudly serves children through the Friendship Is The New Cool program. This initiative uplifts youth from underserved backgrounds through mentorship, creativity, and hands on STEM and STEAM learning. In partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters and local schools, Friendship Is The New Cool creates meaningful experiences that spark curiosity and build confidence. Children engage in exciting projects such as building robots, creating lava lamps, designing catapults, coding their own games, developing websites, exploring circuit boards, making bouncy balls from household materials, and creating 3 D art. These activities help children discover their voice, strengthen friendships, and see themselves as capable innovators and leaders. The program also promotes kindness, discourages bullying, and encourages students to dream boldly.

Back To School STEM Festival

Friendship Is The New Cool also hosts our annual Back To School STEM Festival. This community event prepares children for a successful school year while promoting STEM and STEAM education. Families receive backpacks filled with school supplies, access immunizations, enjoy hands on STEM activities, and connect with community resources that support learning, wellness, and growth. We also host STEM and STEAM tables where children participate in engaging activities led by partnering organizations. The festival ensures students return to school prepared, confident, and excited to learn.

 Why Your Support Matters

When you give to Friendship Is The New Pretty 2, Inc., you are investing in women veterans reclaiming their sense of belonging, children discovering their potential through STEM, families receiving support during moments of transition, and communities strengthened through compassion, connection, and empowerment. Your generosity fuels programs that change lives. It ensures that women veterans feel valued, understood, and supported. It opens doors for children who might otherwise be overlooked.