Inspire

 Having just completed our centennial year, we found the word “inspire,” and various related adjectives, crept into conversations increasingly often. As we planned our 100^th anniversary celebrations and naturally reflected on the YWCA’s humble beginnings and the many, many individuals who have contributed to its success, we were overwhelmed. When our 30^th annual YWCA Women of Distinction Awards proved to be our largest event ever and we learned of the tremendous feats of 40 more women and youth in our community, we couldn’t help but feel awe. When a volunteer committee organized an amazing celebration event inKinsmenPark, once again we were speechless. And, as new donors began sending in donations or dropping off items that we needed, it reaffirmed that we live in a community filled with incredible people.

Heading into our 101^st year, we are refocusing on what matters most. Our association was established to ensure that women were safe and had support to propel them towards brighter futures. We are looking ahead, and what we see are an increasing number of inspirational young women who are becoming mothers, leaders, mentors and community citizens. Being a young woman has changed over the past century and today they face a more diverse set of challenges than they once did. We see this in the variety of services we offer and in each individual we come to know through the course of our work. Preventative programming has become a mantra for us, and this fall we are putting our words into action. We are launching programming specifically designed to encourage and bolster young women, helping them avert crisis situations in the first place. For example, one of our pilot projects will educate adults about economic literacy, a crucial subject in a city where the cost of living has increased dramatically in recent years. 

In addition to our many new programs, we are reviewing the current services we offer. We will be using the upcoming year to objectively assess where we can improve across the board. We have been inspired—by our predecessors, our clients, our donors and our supporters—to continue growing and evolving to meet the needs we see around us. Just as those who have come before us, those who support us and those whom we serve today provide sources of inspiration for us, we strive to inspire others. We believe each individual has the potential to become great and we will do our part to open the necessary doors for them. We hope we can continue counting on your support to serve women, youth and families who will find themselves at the YWCA this year.                           

Patricia Roe
President, Board of Directors

Barb Macpherson
Executive Director

 By age 8, girls are concerned about their body image and by grade 8 they are already making poor choices based on social pressures.