LGBTQ Advocacy and Support at YWCA Clark County

Like so many across the country, YWCA of Clark County rejoiced in Friday’s SCOTUS decision declaring a constitutional right to marriage equality across the country. We’ve long embraced diversity, and stood for the fair and equal treatment of our LGBTQ citizens.

While we see this victory as monumental, we know the fight for full equality continues, and vow to stay vigilant in our advocacy and support. One way we do that is by making sure LGBTQ people always feel welcome, safe, and respected at YWCA of Clark County.

We reached out to Ariella Frishberg our Domestic Violence Prevention, Outreach, and Advocacy Specialist to help highlight the ways in which YWCA provides a safe space for our LGBTQ citizens of Clark County.

On YWCA’s staff dedication to equality:

AF: All of our advocates are trained on how LGBTQ folk are affected by domestic violence, so we are all equally able to assist an individual who identifies within that umbrella. As the LGBTQ advocate, I teach the trainings on domestic violence in the LGBTQ community, and work with other colleagues to make sure our services are as inclusive and welcoming as possible. I am also able to focus some of the outreach I do to the LGBTQ community specifically, by organizing YWCA’s involvement with Pride and presenting at local gay-straight alliances.

On our LGBTQ Community and Domestic Violence training:

AF: During our volunteer training cycle we have a three hour training devoted to domestic violence and marginalized communities. An hour of this training focuses on how domestic violence manifests in the LGBTQ community. In the training, volunteers and new staff are acquainted with vocabulary they may not be familiar with and introduced to some of the extra challenges and obstacles that LGBTQ survivors of violence face.

On some of the specific obstacles faced by LGBTQ survivors of abuse:

AF: There are a lot of reasons why someone might not leave an abusive relationship, and when you come from a marginalized community those reasons can be compounded by the oppression you already face. Examples are an abuser threatening to out the victim to friends or family if they leave, fear of not receiving services at domestic violence agencies because of their gender or sexuality, fear of isolation from an already small, very connected community, and fewer support networks to fall back on if they come from a family that isn’t accepting.

On our gender inclusive SafeChoice Domestic Violence Shelter:

AF: Gender inclusive shelters are becoming more common, but we are still the only one in Southwest Washington. One of the things that changed when the shelter became inclusive was that we have advocates on staff 24 hours a day, instead of just during the day. We also adapted the shelter so that each participant has their own room, instead of participants sharing rooms. One of the first things participants agree to when they come into shelter is an understanding that the shelter is gender inclusive and that we do not tolerate discriminatory language and behavior. Because staff are there at all times, participants are able to come to the advocacy office for support if a problem does arise. It’s important to us that everyone feel safe at our shelter.

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Many thanks to Ariella for sharing her insight, and for being a powerful advocate for everyone who walks through YWCA’s doors!

Jean's Legacy Continues

We are saddened from the loss of Jean Lacey, a woman whose legacy extends throughout the region, nation and the world. During her 19 years as Executive Director of YWCA Clark County, she spearheaded outreach and prevention programs for teens, incarcerated women, and survivors of domestic violence. 

She also served with Soroptomist Vancouver, the Vancouver NAACP, and was appointed to the Washington State Commission of Women. Jean was one of 25 women from the US selected to travel the world with Mary Rockefeller, meeting Gahndi and President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines along the way. From First Citizen to Women of Achievement, her resume is littered with awards for her leadership, community engagement and philanthropy.

Jean truly felt a responsibility to the community, “You must pay rent for the space you take here on this Earth, and the only way you can really do that is by doing good deeds in your community.” 

In 2015, YWCA Clark County is still reaping the benefits of Jean's leadership and vision. “Her service to our community will not be forgotten nor will her tremendous sense of humor,” says Sherri Bennet, current Executive Director of YWCA Clark County.

YWCA Clark County Executive Directors Joyce Kilpatrick, Sherri Bennett,  Kathy Kneip,  Val Ogden and Jean Lacey have lunch together at the Grant House.

Celebrating Our Generous Community

At YWCA we know that we would not be able to do what we do without the support of our community. That’s one of the reasons we love shining the spotlight on individuals who embody the values of commitment, service, respect, diversity, and teamwork.

Tanisha Harris, CASA Program Specialist at YWCA Clark County knows one such individual very well: Her mom, Karen Harris who in January started organizing a monthly giving drive for YWCA’s SafeChoice shelter, Y's Care program, Independent Living Skills program, and our multiple support groups.

“My mom has always had a caring heart, and a lot of compassion and empathy for people” Tanisha says, “She taught my brothers and me at an early age that charity begins at home. This year she wanted to do something that was meaningful and made an impact year round.”

Karen Harris says she first started to really think about giving back on a grander scale this past November. “I got to thinking that everyone is always so generous during the holiday season, but what happens after that? The donations are down, but the need is still there.”

After consulting with her daughter, Karen was surprised to discover just how many programs YWCA sponsors, particularly those that aid children, and decided to collect various goods each month to help support them.

Karen admits she was not quite sure how to get others involved at first. In January she told family members, and posted the idea to her Facebook account. The theme for January was canned goods. With the help of family and friends, Karen collected 136 cans of food to donate to YWCA!

Karen has since collected over 800 food and beverage items for families, youth and children served by YWCA! She’s also collected clothing items for infants and children, and in the coming months has plans to collect school supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste and and other oral hygiene products.

Since February, Karen has been using the website Nextdoor.com to inform people in the area about her giving calendar.  She has also reached out to her neighborhood and 10 nearby neighborhood associations, with plans to expand even more in January. She has been overwhelmed by the support she has gotten within her community, and in particular at the kindness of strangers. She admits she probably only knows “about half” of the people who have participated in these drives, and has a donation box set up outside her home for people to leave supplies anonymously.

“That is probably the most rewarding thing for me,” Karen says, “that people are willing to help those in need. One time I checked the box and found 7 boxes of Cheerios - I actually cried seeing them. I thought to myself, this is the way it should be, people helping each other. We all need to keep in mind that at any given time it could be us that is in need of help.”

The only regret Karen has is that because so many donations are made anonymously, she’s unable to thank every person who contributed. Karen exudes humility when discussing her efforts, noting, “My faith leads me to believe that we are to help the underserved. I am just one person in this project. I only organized it, but it is the community that is making all of this possible, and I am so thankful to each one of them.”

We at YWCA are also thankful to everyone who has contributed, and to Karen for having the determination and spirit to put this all together.

Teambuilding with YWCA

By Sharon Svec

There’s a teambuilding exercise we do at YWCA Clark County, and every time I participate in it, I feel pride in myself, and in those I work with. We’re handed an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper, which lists each one of YWCA’s core values:

• empowerment – we provide the tools and support that build self esteem and foster positive life choices 
• diversity – we celebrate and respect our differences and recognize the dignity of each individual teamwork – we cooperate to achieve our shared vision 
• commitment – we believe in and live our mission and are authentic in our word and deed 
• service – we are leaders in providing quality and innovative service in a caring, compassionate, safe environment 
• respect – we value and honor individual ideas, contributions and opinions 

We’re then asked to choose a value that we resonate with, and to describe how that value is significant to the work we do at YWCA. I admit that I almost always choose empowerment.

I’ve worked in a number of different places, and I’ve never experienced empowerment like I do at YWCA Clark County. Not only is it a leading value in the work we do with participants, but empowerment is stitched into the fabric of daily life at YWCA. You can walk down the hall any day, and see empowerment in action. Sometimes, it’s a supervisor providing a leadership role to a team member. Other times, it’s through the interaction of a father with his child, when he listens to her intently as she describes her day. And often, I witness empowerment in the smiles and conversations of those who’ve just attended a support group or a class on domestic violence.

 The 5 other values, which make up YWCA’s core values are shared throughout the course of the exercise. It’s a great teambuilder. We all get to know each other in the context of our shared values. 

YWCA employs a similar exercise during all staff meetings, when staff are encouraged to recognize a team member who has demonstrated a core value. We name the value and share how this person has exemplified it in their work. In the end, we come out of the exercise feeling pride in our selves, in each other, and in the work we do. Practicing this acknowledgment helps remind us of why we do this work, and that we’re not alone in seeking the best for our community.

Right now, YWCA is offering an opportunity for all people in the community to join YWCA in this teambuilding exercise. Here’s how you can join in!

• Share your favorite value with a photo, video or statement using the hashtag #yvaluesmatter.

• Tag your post with @ YWCA Clark County (Facebook) or @ywcacc (Twitter) and your post will appear on YWCA’s social media pages. Your post will also display on YWCA’s website.

• Invite friends to share in this community-wide exercise by tagging them in your post.

• You can also make a donation in recognition of a friend who shares our values.

I hope that you join YWCA during this campaign to help spread awareness of our services, fundraise for our programming, and ultimately shape our community into one of peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

My First Lobby Day

By Amira Rebihic, YWCA Clark County Volunteer

In October of 2014, I sat down with my advisor at WSUV and discussed my options for helping others while learning more about local communities and populations. I received a huge packet full of organizations that offer volunteer programs, and YWCA stuck out to me. After contacting Lauren Sheridan, I got in touch with my current supervisor Ariella, and decided it was a great fit. Never would I have imagined that I would get to do a lot more than one-on-one help with participants.

Annette, Amir and Hoda representing YWCA in Olympia.

On March 19^th 2015, I was lucky enough to attend Lobby Day in Olympia, WA. Alongside five very dedicated and passionate women from YWCA Clark County, I met with District 17’s Senator Don Benton and two representatives, Lynda Wilson and Paul Harris. Initially when I heard about the trip, I was under the impression I would be going to engage in a peaceful protest of some kind and/or make phone calls to raise awareness of domestic violence. Oh boy was I in for a ride! After three hours of training led by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, I ended up sitting in the offices of the respective Senator and representatives, engaging in conversations that dug deeper than simply telling them where we come from and that we need funding. Thankfully, they all supported our cause and understood the importance of the daily work that is done at both our office and shelter, and most of their opinions are reflected in their votes.

Just a few months ago, I myself was ignorant to just how unfortunately prevalent domestic violence is in our area. At one YWCA location, over 13,000 hotline calls were made. Being a part of a team that focuses on not just helping survivors of DV, but does their best to educate our youth and empower women to prevent it is truly a privilege. I am grateful I had the opportunity to attend Lobby Day and talk to the people who ultimately keep our programs running – all the constituents who take their own time and energy to help others regain their identity and confidence.

Make History During Women's History Month

After International Women’s Day, and amidst Women’s History Month, I reflect on what it is, what it was, and what it will be – to be a woman. I suppose it’s quite different everywhere.

In many parts of the world, women are mistreated and abused. This is accepted behavior in a number of cultures, and standing up against this abuse from within the community can be life-threatening. Then there are small pockets of matrilineal communities like the Maliku in India or the Mosuo in China where abuse is rare, if existent at all.

Here in Clark County, we experience both the freedoms of our current culture and the oppressions of a lingering one. As a result, women and children are abused, raped, bought, sold or disrespected in another regard. Also, as a result, those of us living free of abuse are in a unique position to take action against it, without fear that we will be arrested, jailed, or beaten.
Action can take on many forms. Here are just a few examples:

Carry that Weight
College student Emma Sulkowicz carried a mattress around campus during her sophomore year, drawing international attention to the issue of campus rape. As a result of Emma’s actions, and those of thousands of others less publicized actions, colleges all over the US are being required to implement sexual assault training programs for faculty and staff. Many other colleges are taking additional steps to protect the victim’s rights.

Erin Merryn changes legislation
Guest speaker at YWCA’s luncheon in 2012, Erin Merryn is changing legislation one state at a time. Erin travels from state to state to get Erin’s Law enacted across the US. In addition to continuing education and training for teachers, the law provides that health education programs require age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention. 

#WhyIStayed
Prompted by the NFL’s response to Ray Rice, and other abusive players, #WhyIStayed engaged people in a conversation all over the world about why victims stay in abusive relationships. It was followed by an even more empowering conversation about #WhyILeft

Take advantage of your freedoms, and use them to free your neighbors, friends, and community members from abuse and oppression. At YWCA, we can help.

For nearly 100 years, YWCA Clark County has advocated for the rights of oppressed populations. Stand with us as we advocate for change in legislation that supports survivors, eliminates oppression, and protects children. Share our contact information with a neighbor or friend who may need help. Join us as a volunteer, donor or partner, and together, we can fight oppression and abuse.

Volunteer training starts April 2, 2015
To get involved in volunteering or in other ways, find us online or call us at 360-696-0167

100 Years with YWCA Clark County

The new year has just begun, but at YWCA we are already looking forward to 2016. In less than 12 months, we’ll be celebrating 100 years of empowering our great community! You can expect a host of activities and excitement from YWCA.

But we can’t do it alone. We have 100 years to reflect on, and a bold future to plan. We know we have a rich history of strong women who have made a remarkable difference in our progress towards social change, peace and justice for all our citizens. It is this history we will reflect on as we continue to reach out to inform and inspire individuals to find healing and hope through empowerment-based programs offered by YWCA Clark County’s professional staff and exceptional volunteers. And we are embracing the future with innovations and fresh approaches to serving our mission to empower women and eliminate racism.

Now is the time to come together as passionate supporters of YWCA Clark County’s past, present and future. If you are interested in collaborating with staff and volunteers to make our centennial year one to remember, contact Kate Sacamano today at 360-906-9123 or ksacamano@ywcaclarkcounty.org.