The Classic Wines Auction Continues

by Kate Sacamano

Since 2008, YWCA Clark County has been a proud partner with four regional non-profits and the Classic Wines Auction to raise funds for our five core programs. What makes this event ideal for our organization is that we can almost double the investment of our sponsors and donors through the generosity of all of the attendees.

Clark County has been represented very well with over 100 guests supporting YWCA Clark County annually. Each year the event raises over $3 million for all five non-profits, and this year YWCA Clark County will receive $420,000 from the March 3rd auction. Thank you to everyone who helped make the auction a success, and to those donating their time and treasure every step of the way.

The next Classic Wines Auction will be held on March 3, 2018 but you don't have to wait until next year to enjoy Wine Making Wonders. Seats are still available for our exclusive Headwaters Dinner followed by an after-hours tour of the Portland Art Museum and overnight at the Paramount Hotel on October 27th. Special pricing now available if you call our Philanthropy Department 360-906-9123.

On June 8th, Corks and Forks is the happy hour you don't want to miss, featuring some of the hottest restaurants in Portland, and wines from the Northwest. View photos from last year's event, order your tickets today and reserve some wine to take home.

July 22 and 23rd is the second annual Oregon Polo Classic at the Hidden Creek Polo Club in West Linn. This event draws over 1,000 adults and kids who enjoy delicious food, beverages and activities while watching the unique game of polo among the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley horse-country. Reserve a private cabana, plan a corporate picnic or just grab family and friends for a day in the country. Sunday the 23rd is a 21+ event. Those under 21 are welcome to attend Family Day on the 22nd, and ages 13-20 are free! Purchase your tickets today and be sure to select YWCA as your affiliated nonprofit.

We're also looking for a great number of volunteers to help at the Polo Classic. Since Saturday is a family day, anyone over the age of 12 can volunteer. Sunday volunteers must be 21 year and older. Learn about volunteer responsibilities and sign up by June 15th. Please identify yourself as a YWCA volunteer so we can count your time toward the final donation to our programs.

During the fall and winter seasons, Classic Wines Auction hosts a series of Wine Maker Dinners in Portland and SW Washington. Stay tuned for a listing of restaurants in late October and January so you don’t miss out on a private dinner party with your favorite wine maker. To learn more about how you can get involved, call our Philanthropy Department at 360-906-9123.

The Cycle of Abuse and Homelessness

by Emily Ostrowski

One of the most important factors in helping survivors of domestic violence escape their abusers is their ability to find safe, affordable housing. Unfortunately, this often proves a difficult task. Not only do abusers frequently exert control of their partner’s finances, but available low-income housing is at historic lows both locally and nationally. Many individuals who seek to escape abuse often find themselves without a place to call home.

Domestic abuse is, in fact, the leading cause of homelessness among women and children. According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP), more than 90 percent of homeless women are victims of severe physical or sexual abuse. Often times, it is in their attempts to leave their abuser, and having nowhere else to turn, that is the cause of their homelessness.

The decision between staying with an abusive partner or being homeless is a choice that no one should ever have to make, but it is an unfortunate reality for too many victims of abuse. In a 2012 study, 74 percent of survivors cited economic reasons as to why they stayed with their abuser. In 2016 a full 87% of survivors escaping domestic violence could not find safe, affordable housing, greatly diminishing their options for permanently leaving their abusers.

While domestic violence acts as a catalyst to homelessness, many who end up homeless are also still very vulnerable to additional violence. According to a report by the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence 32% of women, 27% of men, and 38% of transgender individuals reported experiencing physical or sexual violence within 12 months of homelessness. Homeless youth may be especially vulnerable to violence. The same report references a study indicating that 70% of homeless youth experience violence, with 1 in 3 youth specifically reporting sexual assault.

It is at the core of YWCA Clark County’s mission to empower and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, and help them gain the emotional and financial stability needed to live a life free from violence. To do this work we rely on the vital support of our generous community.

Sarah came to Vancouver pregnant and escaping stalking by her ex-partner.
Funding from YWCA helped Sarah find affordable housing,
 and provide a safe home for herself and her child. 

In 2016, our SafeChoice Domestic Violence Program spent 8,193 hours advocating on behalf of 964 individuals offering support, information and referrals, safety planning, support groups, legal advocacy, and a secure place to stay at our gender inclusive emergency domestic violence shelter, which is the only domestic violence shelter currently in Clark County. In total, 43 adults and 66 children were able to escape violence and find temporary housing at our shelter in 2016.


We not only want to provide survivors with one-on-one support and advocacy while they are staying with us, we want them to feel at home. This is why our shelter is gender inclusive, and even allows pets because we don’t want families to choose between staying at a shelter or staying with their loved ones. We also provide private rooms, so that no one has to share space with a stranger.
 Additionally, there are no set meal times or plans, and those residing at our shelter can choose when to eat and what to prepare based on what feels comfortable to them.

We also want survivors staying at our shelter to feel they are on their own timetable. We have a midnight curfew so residents may come and go during the day as they please. Residents can also choose when to access one-on-one advocacy sessions, legal resources, and our Children's Advocacy Program (CAP), which assists families in dealing with the effects of domestic violence.

Finally residents of our shelter can stay up to 60 days, to allow them the time and flexibility to get the emotional, legal, and financial assistance needed to feel empowered to permanently move on from their abusive partner.

While we are deeply proud of the work we have done, we want to do even more to advocate on behalf of our community, and that is why we need your support. Your donations not only help to offer tangible services to the individuals and families that come to YWCA Clark County looking for assistance, but they also send a message that Clark County is united in our mission to end domestic violence.

Please consider donating today, and continue checking our blog to learn more about the challenges domestic abuse survivors face, and how with your support, YWCA can help.

Youth Philanthropy Group Visits YWCA

By Stephanie Barr

Over 70 volunteers dedicated their time and holiday spirit to make YWCA Clark County’s 2012 Holiday Shop a success. The Holiday Shop is a one-day ‘shopping’ experience for YWCA program participant to personally select donated gifts for their family members.  Joining this year’s volunteers were Anne Digenis, Donor Services and Grants Coordinator for The Community Foundation of Southwest Washington, and members of their Youth Philanthropy Program. According to the Community Foundation website, the Youth Philanthropy Program gives juniors and seniors in high school the “opportunity to learn more about their community’s needs and about the many different ways in which they can help address those needs.” The members eventually make grant recommendations to the Community Foundation Board of Directors based on the needs they discover through their experiences volunteering.

To support YWCA’s Holiday Shop, Anne and the Youth Philanthropy members wrapped the gifts YWCA program participants selected for their families. I asked Donnie Rhoads, a junior at Columbia River High School and Youth Philanthropy member, about his experience volunteering at the Holiday Shop. “I honestly had a great time,” he said. “I’ve learned that I can do something as simple as wrapping presents to make someone’s day better. I didn’t think that such a small action could have much of an impact on someone’s night.”

Volunteers hard at work.

The generosity of the Clark County community enabled YWCA to provide gifts to 405 people through this year’s Holiday Shop. An essential piece of that generosity is the commitment of volunteers who organize the donations, bake cookies, add an extra bow to a special gift, and smile as they wish YWCA participants “happy holidays.”  Donnie was struck by that as well, sharing, “I liked seeing how much support the YWCA gives to those in need, especially during the holiday season.”

In addition to gift wrapping, Youth Philanthropy volunteers demonstrated flexibility and initiative, stepping in to meet unexpected needs as they arose. For some volunteers that meant accompanying program participants through the shop as they searched for something special for their families. For another it meant carrying a woman’s packages across the street to the bus stop in the rain. The Youth Philanthropy volunteers were willing to look beyond their initial task and seek new ways to make a difference.

In order for the Holiday Shop to feel empowering and respectful to program participants who may be in the midst of crisis, YWCA relies on volunteers to provide welcoming, compassionate service. Donnie expressed his enthusiasm for that dynamic of the Holiday Shop, sharing, “I especially enjoyed being able to talk and be social with the people I was helping.”

“I was able to witness the impact [philanthropy and volunteerism make] firsthand at the Holiday Shop,” Donnie reflected. YWCA staff witnessed a group of young volunteers, passionate to make the holidays a little brighter for families in need.

Employer Gift Match

Double or triple the impact of your donation to YWCA Clark County! More than 8,000 employers encourage their associates to donate to charitable organizations such as YWCA Clark County and will match employees/retirees contribution dollars.

Matching gift programs are offered to support employees’ philanthropic giving. When you make a gift to YWCA within your company’s program guidelines, the gift is matched with company funds. While most companies will match an employee gift dollar for dollar, some employers will match each $1 with $2. Other companies match less than dollar for dollar. But every dollar helps!

Employees must initiate matching gifts. The steps include:

• Contact your company’s Human Resources Department to confirm if your employer has a Match Gift program
• Complete the matching gift form provided by your employer
• Mail  the form in with your gift
• YWCA takes care of the rest!

These programs depend solely on the employee taking the initiative to ask for and complete a form. By taking these simple steps the end result is many more participants receive services because of your contribution to our programs.

This is a partial list of local companies offering employer gift matching programs: Adidas, Bank of America, First Interstate Bank, , Gas Transmission Northwest, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, The Home Depot, Hewlett Packard, IBM Corporation, Intel, Key Bank, Macy’s, NIKE, Inc., NW Natural, Prudential, Starbucks, Stream International, Inc., Sterling Bank, Sun Microsystems, Tektronix, U.S. Bank, UPS, US West, VERITAS Software, Verizon and Wells Fargo.

If your company does not have a matching gift program, an inquiry can sometimes help motivate management to set one up.