FARMINGTON — Four years ago, Karen Garland-Kidder, a mother of two young children, signed up for career exploration with a Maine Center for Women, Work & Community.

Now she is a business owner and pre-nursing student, she said Thursday at Wicked Gelato on Main Street, her business since November.

“I took a jump of faith,” she said. With the support of a “great staff and a great husband, it doesn’t feel like work.”

There’s a need in the community for a business such as this, a great place for young people to come in and socialize, she said.

Garland-Kidder and Carol Chase of Bass Hill Gardens & Gifts in Wilton are graduates of the center’s ambassador program, where they learned about small business, career development and money management.

The program explores your “interests, experience and dreams so that you’ll find a career where you’ll feel like you never have to work another day in your life,” Garland-Kidder said.

They, along with other graduates, want to give back while learning leadership skills as they organize a fundraiser for the center. The center helps women and men succeed in their workplace, business and community, Regional Manager Janet Smith said.

It’s a monthlong celebration for mothers where local business owners, several graduates themselves, have donated items for a raffle or offer special deals.

Some gathered Thursday at Wicked Gelato for the fundraising kickoff.

Wicked Gelato is selling bags of My Moms Coffee from Coffee by Design with proceeds donated to the fundraiser. A gelato from the coffee is also available.

Other businesses such as Chase’s Bass Hill Gardens and Gifts, Law Mountain Wreaths ‘N’ Bakery and Memories by Melissa will donate funds for every gift certificate purchased. The Chocolate Shoppe, Etc. plans to donate a percentage of sales of coffee cup chocolates.

A raffle of business-donated items takes place May 11 and includes a woman’s haircut at Snippers, two gift certificates from Calzolaio Pasta Co.; a basket of handmade soaps from Second Hand Rose, a pound of chocolates from The Chocolate Shoppe, Etc. and a gift certificate from Baker’s Market. A drawing for a six-piece Vera Bradley collection donated by The Calico Patch will be held May 31.

Initially started in 1978 as a center for displaced homemakers, the Women, Work & Community Center provides help in the areas of small business, career exploration and money management to people who are looking for a change or who need or want to make a change, Smith said.

Some state funding, grants and private contributions help support programs. The May fundraiser helps make people aware of the programs while raising a little money, she added.

A money management course starts May 10 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and runs through June 7 at the center on Perham Street.

For more information or to purchase coffee, call Smith at 778-2757.

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