Robin’s Home, where female veterans can enjoy housing and support programs, is expanding its services to include a public women’s support group. The first meeting of Women Supporting Women is on Tuesday.

In an effort to give women a chance to connect on a deeper level, Robin’s Home is hosting a support group open to women of all ages and backgrounds starting Tuesday, Sept. 26.

According to Robin’s Home founder and director Mary Chitwood, the Women Supporting Women group is a way to expand the home’s services beyond those who served.

“This was started to support more women in our community,” she said. “It’s open to any other woman in our community who wants to meet with other women. Really, it’s just women supporting women.”

Women of any age are invited to the weekly gathering, Chitwood said, and their first meeting is scheduled at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Butler SUCCEED, 150 N. Main St., Butler.

Throughout her experience with Robin’s Home, which was created to provide housing and support for female veterans and their children, Chitwood said she’s seen how great things happen when women come together.

“We see the value in our housing program, how (the women) build a support with each other. We’ve always been looking for other opportunities to meet the needs of women in our community,” she said.

The group will be led by two certified peer specialists from Robin’s Home, Karen Triscas and Jill Dettro, according to Chitwood. They will collaborate with the group members about what direction the group wants to take.

“What’s nice about our certified specialists is they have lived experiences,” she said. “They can relate to struggles other people are facing. The reality is that a lot of times women feel like they don’t want to go through something alone.”

Chitwood said she is excited about the group and hopes it expands to include monthly outings with the participants.

“That’s our goal: once a month we do some social activities with our group. And we (want to) share with women about different resources available to them,” she said.

Josette Skobieranda Dau, associate director of Butler SUCCEED, said talks about forming such a group began a month ago.

“This is new for SUCCEED,” she said. “It really expands our program offerings … I think it’s going to be very positive for the community, and very impactful in terms of empowerment.”

Dau said the group is planning to meet year-round, and she’s excited for what it will provide women of differing backgrounds in the area.

“It’s for women who might not otherwise have the opportunity to connect,” she said. “It will increase quality of life in that way.”

Light refreshments will be served at the initial meeting on Tuesday. Meetings are scheduled for one hour every Tuesday.

Questions about the group can be directed to the certified peer specialists by emailing Jill@robinshome.us or Karen@robinshome.us.