What do you do when a coronavirus pandemic forces you to postpone a luncheon that typically brings in more than $150,000 of your fundraising budget? How can you continue to provide essential domestic violence and sexual assault services to your community?
1. One answer is that you get by with a little (make that a LOT of) help from your friends!
Our sponsors (shown below and during the luncheon recording) and our loyal donors have rallied to help YWCA weather the virus. They’ve sent notes of encouragement and cards with checks tucked inside.
2. The other answer is that you take your efforts and your mission to the virtual realm. So on May 6, we had an online (Bring Your Own Lunch) luncheon!
The event, which you can view above, includes a message from one of our most loyal donors, a tour of the YWCA Domestic Violence Women’s shelter, updates from the Living in New Circumstances (LiNC) life skills program and a meeting with Mariposa leaders, who talk about their work with fifth-grade girls.
To add a little fun, we had a drawing for a YWCA Swag Bag, a post-quarantine lunch at the YWCA for the winner and a friend, and a 30-pack of Kirkland toilet paper, which you may notice Anne-Marie and Carol avoid mentioning by name on video.
More than 145 supporters attended the virtual luncheon LIVE, but it’s not too late to find out more about what your past support has made possible and what YWCA Walla Walla is planning for the future.
Also, we still plan to honor our commitment to the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center and its currently furloughed employees with an in-person 2020 YWCA Leadership Luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 6. If gathering is safe by then, we look forward to seeing you to celebrate our community’s resilience!
