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Happy June, everyone! We hope you are enjoying the warm weather as summer has officially arrived! Here at YWCA, we have been very busy and are eager to share some exciting updates!
As you may know, we are in the final phase of our $16.7 million capital campaign, with the theme "old keys won't open new doors."
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Although we aren't fully funded yet, your help and support thus far has gotten us a long way. YOU ALL are the keys that have helped us open our new doors, and open doors bring hope! We now have partial occupancy of our new building, The Hefner Center! This transition and the new opportunities that come with it provide hope for our clients, hope for our northeast Indiana community, and hope for our future! Learn more about our capital campaign and how you can support us in our final phase by reading our "Program Spotlight" section below.
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As we know, keys come in all shapes and sizes. In the same way, help and support from our community comes in many forms, whether financial gifts, in-kind donations, or offering your time and talent. | |
As we are focusing on the transition to The Hefner Center, we want to shoutout all the groups and volunteers that have donated their time to help us move out of our Decatur Road location and into our new home! It has been a lot of long and hot days, but we wouldn't be as far into our transition as we are if it weren't for your support! Join us in thanking our recent volunteers by checking out our "Special Shoutout" section. | |
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As we continue with our year long "Aha!" campaign, we are proud to highlight five fantastic community members as they share about moments and realizations they've had that led to new and empowered perspectives. Supporting and promoting our organization is another key factor that helps us raise awareness and advance our mission. Read more below!
Speaking of raising awareness, a large facet of our mission focuses on eliminating racism. Our Allyship & Film Series, in partnership with Fort Wayne Cinema Center, has a goal to educate attendees and model ways for viewers to practice allyship for other communities. One way to practice allyship is to educate yourself and share what you've learned with others to raise awareness. Join us on Saturday, June 29th for our Two American Families film screening with a discussion to follow. The event will take place at 2pm at Cinema Center. Check out our "Upcoming Events" section, or visit our website to learn more and register.
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Another integral key to opening our new doors and advancing our mission is the unwavering support from our staff! Emily McCorkle (Engagement Coordinator) and Hannah Shoue (Grant Manager) served as our move day coordinators and helped oversee volunteers and facilitate the move, along with our client move task force.
This month, Hannah is celebrating 4 years at YWCA! Check out the "#PersimmonPride" section to read why Hannah and other staff with June work anniversaries choose to work at YWCA Northeast Indiana.
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Despite being moved into The Hefner Center, there are still many renovations in the works to complete the project. "The Scoop" and "Get Involved" sections below showcase recent construction updates in our new building and provide opportunities for monetary and in-kind donations to help us through the final phase of our transition.
Last but not least, as we are preparing for our annual Circle Event, scheduled for Thursday, October 3rd, 2024, we are seeking nominations for our Peggy Hobbs Service Award. Do you know a woman of outstanding personal development, achievement, and dedication as a volunteer? If so, you can recognize her through a nomination for this award. Learn more in the "Get Involved" section below.
You make the difference, not only in our organization, but in our community. You are the key that helps us open our new doors. We are beyond grateful for all of your support and look forward to all we are going to accomplish together!
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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. However, we were not able to serve the growing demand for our services in the space at our Decatur Road location. And, while there is beauty in the patina, our old keys won’t open new doors. Thanks to generous supporters like yourself, we are now operating out of our Washington Center Road location, The Hefner Center! | | |
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Although renovations are still underway, we are ecstatic about the opportunities this move will provide. Not only does the location have many benefits, the extra space in the building is a game changer! Extra rooms allow for more clients to utilize our services, and the additional space will accommodate partnerships with local organizations. | |
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We are so proud of our progress and that the doors are being opened, fostering hope for those in need of our services. Thank you for being the key to a safer, stronger, and more educated community. Our future is bright!
Learn more about our capital campaign and how you can help us in our final phase by visiting our website.
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We've experienced an outpouring of support from various groups that have assisted us as we transition to our new location. We send a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has donated their time to volunteer for YWCA Northeast Indiana over the past few weeks! | |
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Thank you to Shawnee Middle School's National Honor Society and TCC Verizon for helping with the landscaping at our new building and making sure The Hefner Center is looking cleaned up and in good shape.
Shoutout to the Women's Fund for helping us clean the rooms of our new building to get them ready for our clients!
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We are grateful to Promise Lutheran Church for providing a group to help us move furniture around to the proper spaces. | |
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Thank you to AEP for their help making beds and putting together welcome bags filled with treats for clients to enjoy!
We appreciate First Assembly for donating colorful backpacks for our clients so they have a stylish way to transport items.
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We are grateful for so many YWCA staff members, board members, and committee members that have donated extra time to help us during this transition. | | |
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Shoutout to volunteers from The Rescue Mission, Midwest America, and Amani Family Services for your help moving items from our Decatur Road location into The Hefner Center. | | |
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Thank you FWCS for providing a bus to transport clients, and Three Rivers Commercial Moving for helping transport items safely. | |
We are so appreciative of Mitch McKinney and the Fort Wayne Police Department for being present on our move day to help ensure the safety of our clients and make sure things went smoothly! | |
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We have been so busy and are so thankful to all the individuals and groups who have volunteered their time and abilities to help us make a smooth transition! We couldn't do what we do without you! | |
"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. | |
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“I used to take things personally and get my feelings hurt. My 'Aha!' moment was when I realized that how people act is usually a reflection of what is going on in their lives and may have nothing to do with me. This made me think more about others’ feelings and what I can do to help them, as opposed to what is wrong with me.”
-Melanie Hall (Retired, Fort Wayne Community Schools)
“My ‘Aha!’ statement is the more I’m me, the more I’m enough- showing up fully authentic, using my voice, and experience has led me where I was meant to be.”
-Casey Claypool (Marketing and Development Manager, Citilink)
"Allies come from all backgrounds. I was at a locally owned spot and the bartender and I struck up a conversation. He asked me my job and I replied that I am the 'Racial Justice Coordinator' for YWCA and explained what that means. He shared with me that he grew up in a small not diverse town, where bigotry was normal, stating that hearing that talk made him uncomfortable so he moved to the city as soon as he could. He assured that my job is necessary to help people like him to do and be better!"
-Heather Essex-Guy (Racial Justice Coordinator, YWCA Northeast Indiana)
"As a young leader of women’s retreats, a mentor encouraged me to trust the capabilities of women! Women are smart, strong, and get things done. My 'Aha!' moment is just how much I can lean on them!
-Cammy Sutter (Community Volunteer)
"An 'Aha!' moment for me was when I learned the freedom that comes from empowering yourself. Empowerment can come from releasing yourself from guilt and shame restrictions that prevent you from being your authentic self. I felt empowered when I realized that I didn’t need to fit into feminine stereotypes to be a good woman. We should be genuine to ourselves even if it doesn't look like what society tells us."
-Courtney Washington (Clinical Psychologist, Parkview Health)
Find more "Aha!" moments by visiting our website.
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The Allyship & Film Series project is a partnership between YWCA Northeast Indiana’s Racial Justice program and Fort Wayne Cinema Center. The goal of the film and discussion series is to:
- Create space for viewers to develop empathy and understanding of diverse cultures
- Model ways for viewers to practice allyship for other communities
- Promote the voices and stories of marginalized groups, including local stories
- Educate viewers through specialized scholar facilitation and thought-provoking community discussion
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When: Saturday, June 29th at 2pm
Where: Fort Wayne Cinema Center
Since 1992, Bill Moyers has been following the story of two ordinary, hard-working families in Milwaukee — one black, one white — as they battle to keep from sliding into poverty. A remarkable portrait of perseverance, Two American Families raises unsettling questions about the changing nature of the U.S. economy and the fate of a declining middle class.
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A post-film discussion will explore poverty as something that exists in all communities. It can be easy to objectify people in poverty, but allyship to people living in poverty is treating them as human beings and understanding that poverty is caused by many things and not only the direct result of someone’s actions. A goal of the discussion will be to help viewers identify how easy it can be to enter poverty and how hard it is to exit. | |
This program has been made possible through a grant from Indiana Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. | |
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. | |
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"I feel so honored that I get to be a part of our mission. We work with some incredibly strong, resilient, amazing clients and we get to help them learn to get their voice back again."
-Jennifer (Director of Empowerment)
"I choose to work at YWCA because I consider it an honor to communicate the
stories and experiences of our clients with funders through grants. I also love the culture and people here that make days more positive despite all the challenges we
face in our roles."
-Hannah (Grant Manager)
"I choose to work at YWCA because I'm passionate about supporting survivors in safety, stability, and self-sufficiency."
-Emily (Housing Advocate)
“I choose to work at YWCA to provide hope for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault that they will one day see themselves not as victims but as amazing survivors."
-Stephanie (Advocate Coordinator)
“At first I worked at YWCA because I really needed a job, but after seeing the impact
our work has, I choose to stay at YWCA to do good and help people."
-Jalen (Client Care Technician)
“I chose to work at YWCA Northeast Indiana because I wanted to make sure our clients were heard and their traumas recognized. I have truly enjoyed empowering our youth and supporting their families."
-Carrie (Community Educator)
“I choose to work at YWCA because I want to help those who have suffered at the hands of another human being find their justice and restore who they once were.”
-Makayla (Domestic Violence Advocate)
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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. Although it is still under construction, the former Hall’s Guesthouse Hotel at 1313 W. Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana has become YWCA’s new home: The Hefner Center. Stay tuned for updates! | |
We recently got wardrobes moved into the client rooms that will allow them to safely store their belongings. We have also made some more aesthetic updates like new paint on the walls and new light fixtures! We are so excited to see everything come together one step at a time and are so thankful for all the community support we have received, including all the groups we mentioned in our "Special Shoutout" section above! | |
Nominate Someone for the Peggy Hobbs Service Award | |
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The Peggy Hobbs Service Award began in 1977 with the intent to honor a woman of outstanding personal development, achievement, and dedication as a volunteer. YWCA Northeast Indiana continues Peggy’s legacy by presenting the Peggy Hobbs Service Award to a woman who embodies the passion, commitment, and dedication of Peggy Hobbs at YWCA’s annual Circle event.
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Pictured: Dottie Davis (2023 Peggy Hobbs Recipient), Kimberly Koczan (2023 Peggy Hobbs Recipient), and Paula Hughes-Schuh (CEO, YWCA Northeast Indiana)
Nominations for the 2024 Peggy Hobbs Award are due by July 31, 2024. Find the short nomination form using the button below.
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The 2024 Peggy Hobbs winner will be announced at our Circle Event, held on October 3, 2024. The theme this year is “Breaking Barriers with Confidence, Comforts, and Care.” Local survivors will bravely tell their stories and reflect on their past, letting others know it is possible to overcome barriers to experience a better day. Alongside the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, we will have other experts address the top barriers preventing someone from escaping domestic violence. | |
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We hope you will join us at this impactful event! Visit our website to learn more about the program, registration, becoming a corporate sponsor, or hosting a table. You can reach out to Emily at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org with any additional questions. | |
Goldstein Family Scholarship Program | |
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The goal of the Goldstein Family Scholarship Program is to help female survivors of domestic violence improve their self-sufficiency and quality of life by completing higher education. The scholarship fund provides financial support for tuition, books, rent, utilities, and childcare. Learn more here.
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With our upcoming move to The Hefner Center, we are excited to have a larger kitchen, which will help our nutrition team better serve our clients. This larger kitchen comes will additional needs. Click here to view our kitchen supply wish list, and check out our website for other in-kind donation opportunities.
If you would like to financially support YWCA Northeast Indiana, you can access our donation page by following the link below:
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