GIVING THANKS WITH A GRATEFUL HEART

It is at this time of year, with a grateful heart, that our family at YWCA Glendale celebrates the generosity of friends like you and the power of philanthropy in our community. So many individuals just like you have donated their time, talents, financial support and in-kind donations that allow YWCA Glendale to serve hundreds of women, children, and families in Glendale and our surrounding communities who are impacted by domestic violence, homelessness, and unemployment. And for the first time ever, our reach expanded abroad to support women and children in Armenia impacted by war. This is truly outstanding!
 
Because of you, we are able to continue to help mothers, like Angela, who you will read about below. Because of you, children can now play safely in our shelter backyard. Because of you, we are able to help women and children displaced by the war in Artsakh. We're grateful for your support and for your commitment to partnering with YWCA Glendale, as we continue to serve the most vulnerable populations during COVID-19; your support helps us move toward an equitable and just future for all.

With gratitude,
Tara Peterson
Chief Executive Officer
YWCA Glendale
Our 2020 Adopt-A-Family program has officially opened! Thanks to the generosity of our community, we have received commitments to adopt 15 of the 22 families in our domestic violence programs who are in need of support this holiday season. As we work to bring holiday joy to the courageous families rebuilding their lives through the increased obstacles presented by COVID-19, we would like to share a full circle story of a survivor whose family was adopted years ago in this program, who after rebuilding her life, paid this gift forward by adopting a family in last year's program.

Angela* came to our center in 2016 as a referral from the Department of Children and Family Services. She had been in an abusive marriage and sadly, her children had witnessed these acts in their household. A child abuse case was filed against Angela for failure to protect her children. To keep herself and her children safe, Angela needed to find help. When she arrived at the YWCA, she had separated from her husband and was living with her mother. It was around the holidays, and the first time her children had to celebrate without their father. READ MORE ABOUT ANGELA'S STORY HERE

"It is a very special thing to have holiday gifts sent to your family by someone who without knowing you and the circumstances that brought you to the YWCA is rooting for you and believes in you, that you can make a new life for yourself and your children."
*Name changed for confidentiality
SHELTER LANDSCAPING PROJECT BREAKS GROUND

Last month we were able to break ground on our shelter landscaping project to bring to life safe, outdoor spaces for the families in our domestic violence emergency shelter. As COVID cases continue to climb and domestic violence incidents escalate, having an outdoor space has never been more crucial to our residential program. With the support of our generous individual and foundation donors, we were able to install new fencing for increased privacy, lay new astro turf and cement pathways, begin planting trees, and begin building new plant beds for gardening. We are now working on the final stage of this beautification project: installing a vegetable garden, new patio furniture, a bbq and playground equipment.
Thank you to everyone who supported the creation of this new space! Families are already enjoying outdoor play and recreation time and eating outside on warmer days.
GLENDALE GROUPS COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN ARMENIA THROUGH SOLIDARITY DRIVE

Last week, YWCA Glendale and community partners, Black in Glendale packaged all of the items received from our October Solidarity Drive for women's shelters in Armenia. Thank you to our community for responding to our call for new clothes, diapers, feminine hygiene products, medicine and baby formula. We will be shipping the donations over the coming weeks to the Women's Resource Center in Yerevan, Armenia to support women and children who have been displaced due to the war that took place in the region of the Independent Republic of Artsakh.

Thank you to our drive partners, Black in Glendale, GlendaleOUT, and Comfort Women for Redress and Education, for spreading the word, educating their constituents about the conflict in Artsakh, and demonstrating how important solidarity work is in the movement for a more just and equitable world.

Շատ շնորհակալ ենք ձեր նվիրատվությունների համար: Այս օգտակար ապրանքները պիտի ուղարկենք Հայաստանի կանանց ապաստարան որպեսզի աջակցենք տեղահանված կանանց և երեխաներին այս պատերազմի ընթացքում:
735 East Lexington Drive
Glendale, CA 91206
Phone: 1-(818) 242-4155
Support YWCA Glendale's mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.