This past Wednesday I was invited to join a friend's table at a fundraiser luncheon for YWCA's Circle of Friends held at the La Crosse Center's Ballroom.
The YWCA does amazing work and this past year served 144 children in childcare, 66 abused children, 32 homeless Mothers & Children, giving 62 women a second chance with self sufficiency and a new start, 37 middle school children trained as peer facilitators , 94 girls, children teens,with mentoring, truancy intervention and weekly groups, 66 women with employment and 100+ agents of change addressing racism and social justice.
A very comprehensive program was at each table's seat although time didn't really permit reading it until I returned home. The majority of the following information is directly from that program.
The YWCA La Crosse has been serving the most vulnerable women and children in the community since the early 1900's with programs concerned with mentoring and advocacy, economic empowerment, racial and social justice and supportive housing. Many times programs are begun under the auspices of the Y and then take over by other organizations.
Present Programs are pretty self explanatory but include:
YWCA Employment Readiness
WE Shine- paid stipend enhancing resumes & future employment
YWCA Child Center
Bridges- mentoring at risk 15-18 yr old girls and weekly meetings
Teen Lead-professional women's insights to high school juniors
YWCA Transition Housing- subsidized housing
YWCA Ruth House- emergency shelter
Truancy Invention
Ophelia's House- keeping non violent female offenders out of jail
*YWCA CASA for Kids
*Justice Circles
*The last two programs were highlighted during lunch.
CASA for Kids (Court Appointed Special Advocates)has three primary goals: safety, permanence and well being. A child with A CASA for Kids volunteer is half as likely to re-enter foster care. We heard one mentor's heartfelt story of 6 years with one little fellow. He and many others are very lucky to have these volunteers as mentors and advocates.
Justice Circles tackles La Crosse County's disproportionate minority contact of juveniles with the justice system. Minority juveniles are 9x more likely to be arrested than white youth. and 57% of arrests are made at area schools. One high school and middle school have this alternative discipline model to keep students in school and out of the justice system by training students to facilitate restorative circles.
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| Cindy Ericksen , awardee for Emily Hutson Award |
Two special awards were also presented during the hour, one for volunteerism and the other for philanthropy.
The first: The Emily 'Sis' Hutson Award was given to Cindy Ericksen for her endless dedication and the second the Olga Schleiter Philanthropic Award was to Dan Stacey whose business was the luncheon's major sponsor and whose endeavors among others started APRIL, adaptive skiing for those with handicaps.
The luncheon's goal was to raise $25,000. A projected fundraising thermometer kept climbing during the donation time and over $18,000 was raised during the noon hour from table's individuals using their cell phones/ making out checks.
Whether you have the time/monies, both are always accepted to keep good programs like the YWCA going.
I was on the YWCA board when this program was beginning. It's a pleasure to find women to celebrate each year. So much of what they do is just never talked about or in the news. They just go about quietly helping women and children in the area...and there doesn't seem to be any shortage that need assistance.
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