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 →