Lisa Stearns wants to help women find their voices.

To that end, last summer she formed in Columbia a public speaking club, Voice of a Woman.

The club helps women build confidence and be understood -- in their homes, at their workplaces or when involved in other activities.

And it is hoped that soon it will be a chartered club and part of Toastmasters International.

“Women’s voices need to be heard,” Stearns says. “They need to have a can-do attitude.”

The women who join the club come from a variety of backgrounds and range in age from 25 to 65 and older, Stearns shares. “I started this club to help women gain confidence,” she adds.

After attending meetings and learning the art of public speaking, “they have the courage to, let’s say, go up to their boss and ask for that raise,” she says, “They feel they have a voice. They’ll be heard and listened to.”

Voice of a Woman members meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. There are a $25 new membership fee, along with charter fees and club dues.

For more information about Voice of a Woman, e-mail Lisa Stearns at lisastearns@comcast.net.

And for more information about Toastmasters International go to http://www.toastmasters.org.