Welcome to our Summer edition of empowerNOTES! Spring has sprung, bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming, and we are glad you are here with us for this edition.
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June is always alive with excitement, celebration, and possibilities. Summer is around the corner. We are days from high school graduation. Longer days. More sunshine. Pride month!
In my lifetime, we’ve seen advances in civil rights and acceptance for individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+, including the legalization of same-sex marriage and the Bostock decision affirming the protection of transgender Americans under the Civil Rights Act.
While there is much to celebrate, much work remains to be done.
On the national level, we continue to see the identities of LGBTQIA+, especially trans youth and adults of color needlessly politicized. As a result, these youth are facing discrimination at every level within their community and society, rather than being celebrated for their individuality.
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At YWCA New Hampshire, I am honored that we have launched Manchester True Collaborative in partnership with a dedicated group of community members who wish to change this narrative and the experience of all within the LGBTQIA+ community in our state. I am proud that we offer Manchester Outright for youth in our community. Celebrate Pride with us on Saturday, June 17th at Veterans Park in Downtown Manchester.
Our efforts to serve those who identify as LGBTQIA+ must be stronger than ever now. We must continue to educate and advocate as community members-leveraging our collective power to support.
YWCA NH wants to be a safer space for those who need us. We invite you to support our mission to be that space.
Thank you in advance for all the love and understanding you offer our gay, trans, gender non-conforming, and questioning youth and adults. My continued hope is that they are able to thrive in this world and their individuality is celebrated.
Happy Pride!
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The weather is starting to warm up and so is the work at YWCA NH. We’ve wrapped up another successful year of Advocate in Me, engaging over 30 high school students in a four month program equipping them with the tools necessary to advocate for themselves and their peers.
As we to think intentionally about how we continue to work on our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women, we’re continuing to serve the community through our REACH crisis services and our emergency and confidential shelters.
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We’ve also embarked on helping to create safe spaces by serving as a sponsor of this year’s Manchester Pride Festival.
All of our work is made possible by the continued support of each of you. Your belief in our mission and the work that we do serves as encouragement for us. And the donations and dollars you give are providing life-changing and saving services and resources. Thank you for all you continue to do for YWCA NH and the community at large!
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Advocate in Me (AIM) Graduation |
The 2023 graduating Advocate in Me (AIM) class saw over 35 high school participants over the course of the four-month program. These students engaged in conversations around healthy relationships, racial identity, students' rights to advocacy, and more. They also engaged in a book club which contained a literacy and writing component to the social awareness curriculum.
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On Saturday, May 20th, 25 students successfully completed all required parts of the program, including an end-of-year capstone project revolving around a social issue. We are proud of these students and their commitment to one another and the community at large. |
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Community Education & Outreach |
During April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, our Community Education Coordinator Emma was very busy! Among dozens of prevention and outreach activities, Emma spoke with the Bedford school superintendent about dating and sexual violence in a recorded interview for Bedford Public Access TV.
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Emma also was the keynote speaker at the St. Anselm College Stalking Symposium where she shared her journey as a survivor and path to advocacy and education work. Congratulations and thank you, Emma, for all your hard work to impact our community! |
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To In May, we celebrated AAPI (Asian American & Pacific Islander) Heritage Month! As a part of this, our DAE Advocate Cindy interviewed our Finance Manager, Chiling, to better understand her experience. Here is an excerpt from that interview.
Q: In what way do you think we can refine the skills and enhance the leadership abilities of our AAPI community?
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A: Opportunity. I feel a majority of the time we just need to be given a chance from work, from people, from anywhere. We need a stage for us to shine and show our skills and what we are good at. Being a stay-at-home mom for two years, it had become a certain challenge for me to step out of my comfort zone to apply for jobs.
I was questioned about my differences including having an Asian last name, which seems to become a barrier to receiving an interview opportunity. The fact that English is my second language also posed a barrier. I was questioned about my ability to speak and understand English.
I feel if we could provide some type of training or support group for our AAPI community, we can build confidence and grow together.
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We are so excited to be in Pride Month! We have worked to launch Manchester True Collaborative with the hard work of an Advisory Council made up of passionate, dedicated community members, and this will be our first time hosting Pride! Manchester True Collaborative has a whole week of events lined up along with the Festival itself—check out the website for more information!
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Our team has been hard at work getting ready to launch a new program this year, Camp HOPE! In partnership with HAVEN NH on the seacoast, we will be offering a week-long summer camp program paired with year-round activities and mentoring to children who have experienced trauma. Check out our website or reach out to us for more information on how to get involved as a volunteer or counselor, refer a family, or the program itself! |
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SNHU Center for New Americans |
The Amiko Youth Program participated in its annual Golden Goal soccer tournament at the SNHU campus this month. Amikos competed against each other and SNHU students and got to show off their incredible soccer skills. |
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Between games, they had a chance to learn more about college student life, play in the bounce house and share a meal with their college buddies. Amikos also visited the Center City greenhouses where they learned about the nursery plants and then planted trees along the pond. The Amikos were highlighted in a recent Chronicle episode on the New American Scholar program, a tutoring, and mentoring service that is offered to them after school. The kids had a fun, educational month! |
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This quarter, our court advocate shared this: As we have come to learn, perpetrators of abuse will often use the systems that have been built to keep survivors safe, against them. The court system is an excellent example of this, and as a court advocate, I have seen this happen time and time again. More recently, I worked with a survivor who filed a protective order against her abuser, only to have one filed against her shortly after, by her neighbor. |
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This caused her to have to leave her apartment because it was within 300 yards of each other. It turned out that the neighbor was best friends with the abuser, and fabricated everything in the protective including that had dated in the past-- a qualifying factor for a protective order. I was able to sit with this client and continue to remind them that I believe them, and fortunately, the judge was able to see past the antics and dropped the order. Ultimately, she was able to return back to the home. |
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YWCA NH is proud to partner with GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), a federal program funded whose mission is to significantly increase the number of low-income middle and high school students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education. |
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GEAR UP provides opportunities for underrepresented students to develop the non-cognitive skills critical for accessing higher education and creates a college-going culture in NH so that every student embraces the idea that college is possible. GEAR UP partners with us around our Advocate in Me program, helping us to recruit, retain, and support students, as well as helping us to provide a safe environment for programming and reducing barriers like transportation and food. |
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Welcome new Staff!
Welcome to our newest team members! In the past few months, we have welcomed 3 new team members:
Ashley, DaShawna, & Theresa. Welcome!
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COMING SOON! (Important Dates) |
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- June 15, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
- June 17, Manchester Pride Festival
- June 19, Juneteenth
- June 20, World Refugee Day
- June, Pride Month
- July 4, Independence Day
- July 24, International Self-Care Day
- July, Disability Pride Month
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Join us in our mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Join us as we work to create a thriving community free from violence and oppression.
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