October is a time to reflect on the seriousness of intimate partner abuse and break the silence about violence. Check out October events below and get ideas for taking action. Walla Walla County Commissioners proclaim October is DVAM Candlelight tribute Light refreshments, reflections, and a candlelit stroll around the shelter block Walkers at 2023 gathering … Continue reading Domestic Violence Action Month (DVAM)
After a 17-year career in various healthcare positions, Alisha Gonzales was ready for a change. “After the years of COVID-19, it felt like time to try a new route, to figure out what I was truly passionate about and go for it,” she said. She always knew she wanted to help women and children, and … Continue reading Advocate: ‘We are stronger together’
KAREN ANGEL always knew she wanted a job helping people, which is why she studied psychology at Washington State University. She was hired as a YWCA Advocate partway through her degree, which has included many relevant classes like Violence Toward Women, Behavior Disorders in Children and Adolescents, and Families in Poverty. “When I first began … Continue reading Campus support role for YWCA advocate
Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) succeed when they center on kids’ needs WHEN A CHILD is being abused, the No. 1 priority is that child’s safety and well-being. Children are vulnerable,and they may lack the vocabulary and power to speak for themselves.In her new role at the YWCA, Leslie Bumgardner, Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Coordinator, is helping make … Continue reading Child advocacy: Your support empowers young lives
Friday, June 14, was a day filled with love, memories, and tradition as Brianna and Joaquin celebrated their wedding where Brianna’s grandmother and great-aunt tied the knot more than 50 years earlier. Brianna’s great-aunt Norma and great-uncle Frank exchanged vows in the YWCA reception room in 1972, and her grandparents, Mary and Merle, followed a … Continue reading Family ties bind YWCA wedding tradition
Our new Director of Client Services, Lana Bushman, has always found satisfaction in helping people grow, heal and flourish, especially women and children who can’t advocate for themselves.Being a survivor herself, she said, makes it easier for her to comprehend all that they are going through when dealing with domestic violence (DV) or sexual assault … Continue reading Lana leads caring team of Advocates
To access the 2023 YWCA Year in Review report as text, click here.
When organizations sponsor a YWCA event, you might be surprised how deep the support goes. Providence St. Mary Medical Center regularly goes above and beyond financial support.“We know when we contribute to YWCA, through sponsorship of an event, bringing a hot meal to the shelter, or other ways,” said Emily Volland, Providence Communication Director, “that … Continue reading Sponsorship: More than logos
WITH SOME HELP from Sen. Maria Cantwell, $413,000 in federal funds were earmarked for Columbia County Health System (CCHS) to transform Booker Rest Home into RoseMary’s Place. Without our CCHS partners, the center wouldn’t be preparing to open this April. But having been chosen to operate Dayton’s new licensed childcare left YWCA Walla Walla with … Continue reading Communities rally around children
BOARD Members President Becky Kettner (above, left) and Vice President Jill Juers (right) joined Executive Director Anne-Marie Zell Schwerin for Capitol Hill Day, part of the YWCA national conference. A key concern was secure funding for crime victim services, something YWCA supporters like you lobbied for all year, especially at the state level. And your … Continue reading You stepped up for crime victims