Because of you, we know this birthday year will be one we won't forget!

We look forward to highlighting "Aha!" moments from local celebrities each week. Please stay tuned to see if you recognize someone you know!

We would not be the YWCA you know and love if we didn't have some educational items and upcoming events to share with you! January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Did you know that the most pervasive myth about human trafficking is that it often involves kidnapping or physically forcing someone into a situation? In reality, most traffickers use psychological means such as tricking, defrauding, manipulating, or threatening victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor. We are posting informational posts via social media throughout this month. Please follow us to learn more about this topic.

Please save the date and register for our first Diversity Dialogue event of the year, focused on Women's Work, scheduled for March 7th.

We also are celebrating a few team work anniversaries. Kudos to Carla, Nunu, Charlie, Sare, and Candice. Their unwavering passion for our mission, countless hours of hard work, and compassionate hearts make them a joy to work with! Congratulations to this Persimmon team!

Please check out "The Scoop" section below. Shawnee Construction continues to make progress, and we are grateful for their tender loving care as they work to turn this building into our new home.

Lastly, read the most recent post in our "Are You an AllY?" blog series to find out how Norman Rockwell models allyship. We are intentional about spreading awareness, which is why you will see that our 2024 Racial Justice programming will be focused on the theme of ALLYSHIP. YWCA Northeast Indiana is on a mission to be an AllY. We hope that you will join us!

Thank you for helping us ring in the new year! We hope you will also celebrate our 130th birthday with us. And, if you have an overwhelming desire to send us cake, we won't mind.

Addiction Recovery Program

Did you know that our addiction recovery program....

Serving all Indiana counties, this program is positioned for growth as we move into our new building, allowing us to better meet the needs of Hoosier women who are struggling with substance use disorder. We have worked hard to be able to offer the program that we have today. Having merged with Hope House in 2015 and absorbing the Women's Bureau's Transitions program in 2018, we now have one cohesive program that addresses the needs and barriers of women with substance use disorder throughout Indiana.

"Aha!" Empowerment Campaign

YWCA Northeast Indiana is BIG on empowerment. It is who we are and what we stand for. Our 2024 "Aha!" campaign features local celebrities sharing moments that have helped them feel more empowered.

"Rosetta Moses Hill helped me and everyone else realize how racism affected her on a daily basis. She was the best teacher. My 'Aha!' moment is that we need to continually be learning to be good students of those around us."

-Becky Hill (Retired, former CEO of YWCA Northeast Indiana)

"In my spare time, I get the opportunity to coach cheerleading. Over the years, students come and go. Some names and faces I remember, but some I don’t. It wasn’t until my 7th year of coaching that I had a former student return to thank me for setting their life on the right path. While she was my student, she was homeless. But because I made an effort to keep her on my team and on a regular schedule with the others, she was able to build confidence, make the most of her situation, and learn valuable lessons about family and community. She was able to graduate and even attend college. She credits her success partly to me because I didn’t give up on her. My 'Aha!' moment is to never give up on anyone because of their temporary circumstances. Help them overcome it!"

-Dawn Clopton (Vice President - Community Development, Premier Bank)

Find more "Aha!" moments by visiting our website. 

Our first Diversity Dialogue event of 2024 is on Thursday, March 7th. The topic is Women's Work. March is Women’s History Month and this dialogue will highlight work being done by some incredible women who are crossing cultural barriers to contribute to community building and belonging.

The event will take place from 12-1:30pm at the Allen County Public Library (Main Branch) in Meeting Room AB. This event will also be available via livestream. We hope to see you there!

Learn more about Diversity Dialogues and find a full 2024 schedule on our website.

We are excited to announce that registration is open for the 2024 Race Against Racism 5K Walk/Run! The Race Against Racism 5K Walk/Run is a fundraiser for YWCA Northeast Indiana's racial justice efforts, which includes community events that promote racial justice through engaging conversations, learning opportunities, and collaboration with local organizations. The 2024 Race Against Racism is scheduled for April 27, 2024 at PFW and encourages you to Ally Up! The event will focus on building allies to shape our community's youth and create a more inclusive future.

The event is chip timed, and packet pickup begins at 9am with a race start time at 1am. Awards will be given out based on the following age categories and gender selection: 14 and under, 15 - 24, 25 - 34, 35 - 44, 45 - 54, 55 - 64, 65 - 74, 75+ as well as top finisher overall for each gender category. Adult tickets are $40, student tickets (ages 15 - 23) are $20, and children 14 and under are $10.

Early-bird pricing ends March 31, so make sure to sign up and secure your spot today! Add a reminder to your Google calendar here.

Find more information and recaps of past events by visiting our website.

What is Persimmon Pride? Persimmon is the orange pantone color of our YWCA brand. Internally, #PersimmonPride is more than a hashtag or mantra. It is a belief in the impact the YWCA team is having in our community. It's more than a saying. It is who we are and what we believe in.

"I choose to work at YWCA because every day I get to try to figure out what I can do to support people and justice in our local community. I feel called and encouraged to do my best here and appreciate the passion and commitment of my colleagues."

-Carla (Director of Mission Advencement)

“I work at YWCA because I am very passionate about helping people who are in need. I want to make a difference in their lives and help them achieve their goals.”

-Nunu (Advocate)

"I decided to work for YWCA to help them repurpose the Guesthouse for their needs. I knew the building still had a lot of life left in it and could serve the needs of providing services for women of the community for many years to come. After working at the Guesthouse for 25 years keeping the lights on and the doors open, I wanted to help give the building new purpose."

-Charlie (Facilities Manager)

“I work at YWCA because I truly love to be a person clients can come to for encouragement, support, or a kind word to make their day a little better. As much as clients learn from us, they teach us a lot of lessons that we can take home as well. I also enjoy how inclusive and diverse the workplace is and the effort behind the scenes to be better everyday."

-Sare (Front Desk)

"I choose to work at the YWCA because I believe in our mission and the work we do for our

community. I am blessed to work at an agency that empowers not only those in the community, but its employees as well."

-Candice (Director of Clinical and Recovery Services)

The passion from our staff, in addition to the unending support from our community, is what makes our work possible. Thank you to our staff and the northeast Indiana community for your support!

"The Scoop" will keep you up to date on the latest happenings as we renovate our new building. After construction, the former Hall’s Guesthouse Hotel at 1313 W. Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana will become YWCA’s new home: The Hefner Center. Stay tuned for updates!

Construction has been progressing rapidly in the last few weeks! New duct work is going in and walls continue to be built, the ADA compliant bathrooms are coming together, and the switch gear has been installed!

Identity, Ideology, and Imagination

By the time the turbulent sixties were to begin, painter Norman Rockwell had already established his place in the collective hearts of Americans. For five decades, Rockwell painted light hearted covers for the Saturday Evening Post that captured the imagination of the American people. By the end of 1963 his affiliation with the Saturday Evening Post was no more, and the idyllic scenery of simple Americana which he usually captured, was slipping away in the face of social disruptions and the growing Civil Rights Movement. So in January 1964, sixty years ago, at great personal and professional risk, Rockwell took a chance with a piece of art that would end up challenging some of America’s deep-seated social values.

Norman Rockwell embodies an example of someone who goes on their own journey of understanding themselves and others. I want to point to Norman Rockwell’s journey as a model of allyship. Rockwell’s evolution is that of a person who is secure in their identity, while being willing to evolve their ideologies. Rockwell also used his very public platform to call attention to the absurdity of allowing skin color to distract and obstruct Americans from practicing the best of the American values he had been capturing for decades prior. Read the full blog on our website.

Find past posts from our "Are You an AllY?" blog series here.

Capital Campaign

There is value in the past. Our history at YWCA Northeast Indiana is full of experiences, experiences that have helped develop us into the life-saving agency we are today. We are not able to serve the growing demand for our services in our current, limited space. And, while there is beauty in the patina, our old keys won’t open new doors. Now, we begin a journey of opening new doors. Will you join us?

Learn more about our capital campaign and how you can get involved and support YWCA Northeast Indiana by visiting our website.

Goldstein Family Scholarship Program

Donate

We have recently updated our Amazon Wish List with current needs, including needs for clients and operations needs. Your purchases can be sent directly to our location.

If you would like to financially support YWCA Northeast Indiana, you can access our donation page by following the link below: