Volume 15: December 2008

pasadena-foothill valley

Hold On Tight to the Spirit of Giving

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has arrived and the traffic in Old Town Pasadena proves it.  It is amazing to witness our desire to give manifest in the massive amounts of honking cars down Colorado Boulevard, or in the frustrated and frantic expressions on the faces of both the customer and the store employee.  Most everyone agrees the holiday season is about giving. Unfortunately, too often that "giving" comes in the form of frantic consumerism and guilt-fueled trips to the stores.   

This holiday season, the YWCA wants to encourage you to hold tight to that giving spirit and protect it from the enemies of anxiety, guilt, stress and over-zealous shopping trips.  It is a wonderful gift to give and so often that gift is taken from us when we feel obligated or overwhelmed.  The YWCA's hope is that we will feel grateful instead of obligated and blessed instead of overwhelmed. 

The YWCA took the opportunity to partner with Huntington Memorial Hospital this season as a way to hold on tight to our giving spirit.  The Just for Girls program is holding a toy drive for the children in Huntington's Pediatric Ward. We know that there are many sick children in the hospital during the holiday season and our hope is to offer these children and their family members joy by delivering gifts and visiting with them.

We would be honored if you would help us in this effort by donating an unwrapped gift appropriate for a boy or girl between the ages of birth and 14.

If you are able to particpiate, please drop off your gift to the YWCA by Friday, December 12.  Call with questions at
 626-296-8433.

Just for Girls (JFG) News
JFG held its semi-annual Mother-Daughter Night on November 19 with Community Health Alliance of Pasadena (CHAP) as a special guest

 

 
Twice a year, JFG participants and their mothers are invited to the YWCA for dinner, activities and a presentation on a variety of subjects around women's empowerment.  This Mother-Daughter Night was wildly successful in turnout with more than 40 women and young ladies participating.
 
The night started with dinner and an opportunity for the girls and their mothers to share in making a craft project.  Together they decorated and personalized little wooden baskets that would hold words of encouragement and thanksgiving for one another and their families.  Throughout the Holiday Season the basket can act as a reminder of what we are thankful for in our lives.
 
After dinner, a guest speaker from CHAP presented tips for healthy living and cooking, while also talking about how stress and anxiety can hinder our health and what we can do about it.  The evening ended with a turkey raffle where 6 families were given turkey dinners with all the trimmings, thanks to The City of Pasadena and Ralph's Grocery Stores.  

 

Election Wrap Up

On November 4, 2008, Senator Barack Obama of llinois became the 44th President of the United States of America and the first African American President of the United States. Lorraine Cole, YWCA USA, released a statement noting the historic election. Click here to leave your own statement about what this historical election meant to you.

In additional Congressional news, at least 10 women were elected to serve in the House of Representatives, and two women were elected to serve in the United States Senate during the next Congress.

On the state-level, the New Hampshire State Senate will have a majority of female members when the state legislature begins its session in January, marking the first time in our nation's history that women have controlled a state legislative body. And a number of state ballot initiatives relating to women rights and civil rights were up for consideration.

  • Nebraska and Colorado had anti-affirmative action initiatives on the ballots. The Nebraska initiative passed, while the Colorado initiative failed.
  • In Arizona, California and Florida, voters passed amendments banning gay and lesbians from marrying while voters in Arkansas passed an amendment to ban unmarried cohabitating couples- heterosexual, gay and lesbian- from adopting or being foster parents.
  • Missouri, Arizona and Oregon had immigration-related initiatives on the ballots. In Missouri, voters passed a ballot initiative that made English the official state language for all state government activities. Arizona voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have revoked an employer's business license if they knowingly hire individuals who are in the United States illegally. And Oregon voters rejected a ballot initiative that would have allowed students to learn for only two years in a language other than English.
  • California, Colorado and South Dakota had reproductive rights initiatives on their ballots. In California, a ballot initiative would have required a woman under 18 to notify her parents 48 hours before having an abortion. In Colorado, an initiative to alter the state's constitution to define human life from the moment of conception/fertilization failed.
  • Finally, in South Dakota an initiative that would have banned nearly all abortions in the state except where the life and health of the mother was at-risk failed.
  • Other state amendments: Maryland voters passed an initiative to allow early voting. Montana voters passed a ballot initiative to provide government-funded health insurance to 30,000 uninsured children. Washington voters passed a ballot initiative allowing doctor-assisted suicide. California voters rejected a ballot initiative that would expand treatment options for non-violent drug offenders. 

    Visit ywcavote.org for more information about the results of the 2008 election.

     

    Ayana's Voice
    A note from Ayana Rose, the YWCA's new Program Director 

    I'm excited to begin my legacy at the YWCA as Program Director, a place where diversity is cultivated and honored and empowering women is the norm. No two human beings are the same after all.

    Diversity, no matter what it is based on, is rich and perhaps the most valuable resource we have. It is the source of all creativity, innovation and it gives us the ability to see things differently.  Without these assets, our journey towards empowerment, equity and tolerance would have ceased a long time ago. What we have in front us is a compelling reason and an obvious challenge for change, along with a celebration of experience, honesty and inclusiveness.

    In this exciting time of "yes we can," I look forward to bringing my compassion to serve others, my willingness to listen and my ability to hear the community voice. I understand that the YWCA has an excellent reputation and I look forward to continuing to provide a positive outlet, a place of resource and guidance for our community members.

     

    • Do you know "What's the Difference?"

    We have been dorment for a while but we have a mew post by a guest blogger. Check it out at www.ywcapasadena.blogspot.com.  While at the site, remember to subscribe to the blog so that the updates come to you.

    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.

     

     

     
    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 Justice:
     Diversity and Knowledge

     
    by Denise Jones 

    Is it racist to say the United States will have its first African American President? Has the country been noting that there has been a 28th, 32nd, 43rd white president or have the past presidents of the US been called just president? The 44th President of the United States is African (father) American (mother) raised in a white environment and now labeled the first black president.

    In the historic election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the US, the media blasted reports that the nation had finally wiped away its sin of racism, statistics that 95% of black voters cast their vote for Obama, 1% of McCain's votes were by black voters, over 60% of Obama voters were white and only 16% of eligible black voters actually voted. 32% of electoral votes were for McCain and 46% of the popular vote was for McCain. All of this number counting could appear as "profiling" and when the numbers are closely analyzed, it could be concluded that the majority of the 53% Obama voters evaluated the qualifications of the candidate and moved past the color of the skin.

    However, the results are more likely to be the result of many factors – based on qualifications, because of the economy, because of the war, because of health or education issues, because of age, because of the name, because of race, because of other factors. This is what is called diversity. Embracing and celebrating diversity is a core belief of the YWCA Racial Justice Committee. In line with the goal of the YWCA to eliminate racism, the results of the national election demonstrate a giant step in that direction.

    While there is no way to be "color blind" when interacting with a person, there is a possibility of judging people by the content of their character" rather than "by the color of their skin". To make such a judgment, there is a need for knowledge of a person beyond their outward appearance. Another core belief of the Racial Justice Committee is that knowledge and education plays a significant role in the elimination of racism. Knowledge of people, traditions, norms, cultures, customs, etc. removes ignorance and fear of the unknown.

    The Racial Justice Committee has learned from the Living Tapestries initiative that in getting to know persons different from yourself reveals that there are many more similarities than differences. In the case of the election of the president, it appears that as the nation became more informed they were able to make choices that superseded race. Racism occurs when one group/individual has power/privilege over another group/individual.

    As time marches on and with intentional effort, the YWCA Racial Justice Committee is hopeful that the balance of power/privilege becomes more evenly distributed and is manifested as more steps towards the elimination of racism.

    ~~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.

    YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley 1200 N. Fair Oaks Ave. • Pasadena,CA 91103

    Phone: 626-296-8433 • Fax: 626-296-8434

    www.ywca-pasadena.org