What: The OG EMBER Fashion Show Experience

When: Sunday, May 18

Where: The OG Ltd., 146 S Broadway Ave, Salem

Time: Doors open at 2 p.m.., Show starts at 3 p.m.

Tickets: www.Givebutter.com/u5kbZz

About The EMBER Project: The EMBER Project supports teen and early mothers through education, mentoring, and career development. By addressing the root causes of generational poverty, EMBER helps young women ignite a future of confidence, independence, and hope. You can learn more at www.theemberproject.org.

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In celebration of Women’s Health Month, The EMBER Project will host its first-ever fundraising event this Sunday, May 18 — a fashion show fundraiser that fuses style, community and purpose.

Partnering with one of Salem’s newest restaurants, The OG Ltd., the event will feature looks from local women-owned boutiques and a couture designer, all while raising critical funds to support teen and early mothers as they pursue education and career opportunities. The EMBER Project provides resources that empower young moms to break generational cycles of poverty.

Funds from the May 18 event will support initiatives such as tutoring, ACT/SAT prep, scholarship assistance, and career certificate programs like STNA training and insurance licensing.

“Teen mothers face incredible barriers — many of which begin the moment they give birth,” said Susan Sutton, founder of The EMBER Project and a former teen mom herself. “This event is about changing that narrative, creating support systems, and building brighter futures.”

The connection to Women’s Health Month is intentional. While often overlooked in public health conversations, teen mothers experience higher rates of depression, poverty, and educational disruption, all of which directly impact long-term physical and mental health.

Did You Know?

— Only 40% of teen mothers finish high school.

— Fewer than 2% earn a college degree by age 30.

— By age 50, women who had children as teens earn less than half of their peers who delayed childbirth.

— Teen moms are significantly more likely to experience maternal mental health challenges, including postpartum depression, anxiety, and social isolation.