April 2009

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The YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley's
Women of Excellence
Leadership Speaker Series
welcomes 

Suzy Welch!

Suzy Welch, author (Winning and Winning: The Answers) and columnist (O and Business Week) will kick off the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley’s 2009 Women of Excellence Leadership Speaker Series.

With its mission of empowering women, the YWCA is particularly pleased to provide the opportunity to hear from a dynamic woman who is a respected journalist, a management consultant, a lecturer on women’s leadership, a writer of both fiction and non-fiction and a mother of four teenage children.

She will be speaking on personal decision-making strategies and balancing work and life issues, a topic also addressed in her latest book entitled 10-10-10. Her husband, former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch will be in attendance to introduce Suzy as well as for a question and answer period.

Proceeds from the event will support YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley programs for girls and women.

Copies of Suzy's book, made available by Vroman's, will be on hand Saturday for purchase and signing.

When: Saturday, May 9, 2pm - 4pm.
Where: The Forum, All Saints Church, 132 North Euclid Avenue, Pasadena
Cost: $40 in advance, $50 at the door and includes refreshments
Purchase Tickets: online here or with Ashley Phillips at 626-296-8433.

Make checks payable to: YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley
  Mail to: YWCA, 1200 N. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103

 

Just for Girls Fundraiser:
Donate your old cell phones.

Help us raise money by donating your old cell phones. You can donate by bringing your used cell phones to the YWCA office from March 30 to June 1, 2009. Your old phones are recycled and sent to battered women’s shelters and senior citizen homes by Absolute Recycling. 

The YWCA will receive funds for every phone donated and the money raised will go towards our Just For Girls end of the year field trip. 

Thank you for your support!
 
 
Since the year 2000, the month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).  The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence (focusing on sexual assault and rape) and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.
 
Sexual assault does not only affect women and girls; young boys are just as vulnerable to sexual assault. And yet, it has been found that victims of sexual assault are disproportionately women as they get older.  According to the most recent 'Sexual Violence' fact sheet distributed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 20% to 25% of women in college reported experiencing an attempted or a completed rape in college. That is 1 in 4 women in college.  Chances are you knew one of these women or even worse, were one of these women.
 
This fact reinforces the YWCA's desire to be a part of the empowerment of women to prevent and protect themselves from sexual assault. 

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the YWCA is offering SHIELD Women’s Self Defense Introductory Class on April 22, 2009.

SHIELD Women’s Self Defense System is a practical and effective fighting system specifically designed for women to combat sexual assaults. You will learn close-range fighting, to be efficient to fight in tight quarters, using your lower body strength to generate power. Each class builds upon the previous class and the training gets more intense as it progresses.

A four-week workshop will begin on May 6 from 6:30-9:00pm held at the YWCA Facility.  You will also receive one private training session with the instructor Nelson Nio. 

Please contact Ayana Rose at 626-296-8433 for more information.

More ways to get involved:
  1. Sign up for Denim Day LA presented by Peace Over Violence.
  2. Get Educated. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) provides an abundance of resources and opportunities to raise your personal awareness around issues of sexual assault. Download and read  Engaging Bystanders in Sexual Violence Prevention.

  Do you know
"What's the Difference?"

Check out the new post on the blog titled, "Knowledge is Key to Eliminating Racism." What are your thoughts?  After you have read the entry, make comments at the end of the post by clicking on the word 'comment.'

If you would like to contribute to the blog with an original post, please email Community Outreach Coordinator, Ashley Phillips, at ashley@ywca-pasadena.org.
 
While at the site, remember to subscribe to the blog so that the updates come to you.

 

 
Donate Online NOW!

Your contribution to the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley allows us to continue to offer our community:

  • Just For Girls enrichment and development program for the school-aged young women of Pasadena.
  • Racial Justice work in our community.
  • Community Building efforts through public dialogue and our program initiatives.
  • Ensuring that women from all walks of life have a voice in our city, region and nation.
Your generosity ensures that we cultivate the next entrepreneur, the next engineer, the next scientist, or the next U.S. Speaker of the House!
How Can I Get Involved?
  • Volunteer. We are always recruiting women and girls to join a committee or to volunteer in the office.
    Contact the Program Office.
  • Make a gift of stock, real estate or money.
    Contact the Development Office.
  • Join the Racial Justice Committee. Be a part of the conversation.
    Contact Denise Jones     Chair.
  • Contribute a brief article to our blog, "What's the Difference?"
    Contact Ashley Phillips    , Community Outreach Coordinator

 

Racial & Ethnic Identity Development Workshop

On Friday, March 13, the YWCA's staff, board and Racial Justice Committee members received a day-long training on developing a healthy racial and ethnic identity.

The YWCA Racial Justice Committee coordinated with Casey Family Programs to provide this in house training.  Facilitators from Casey Family Programs lead the audience through various discussions and activities focused on understanding the need for healthy racial and ethnic identity, promoting racial and ethnic pride, developing multicultural competence and identifying racism and discrimination.

This training represents an initial critical step to working towards the elimination of racism in our community.  As an organization that champions the value of racial equity, we know that it is necessary to begin with ourselves in this journey.  We believe changes begin as our own perceptions and values are transformed.

Join the Discussion, Join the Committee

If discussing these issues and responding to them interests you, we would love to have you join our Racial Justice Committee.  We meet every 4th Wednesday at the YWCA.  For more details, please contact Denise Jones, our committee chair, or Ashley Phillips at the YWCA office at 626-296-8433.

"The YWCA will thrust its collective power toward the elimination of racism wherever it exists and y any means necessary." - One Imperative