YWCA Monterey County News April 2020
At this time of the year, as we leave Spring and think about bright Summer days ahead, we also think of new beginnings and, while there is still a present threat as a result of spread and containment of Covid-19, the YWCA Monterey County is now putting into place measures to ensure a safe and guided return to ‘what was before’ or at least as near as possible
Prior to the Shelter in Place being introduced we adopted a phased approach to service delivery in anticipation of what was ominously ahead and this helped us to protect everyone we work for and we work with. We will be adopting a similar approach to moving forward, in full consultation with our staff and stakeholders.
In the meantime, we continue to deliver crucial services to women and children who have been impacted by Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking. We are acutely aware that not all our clients are female and that there is also, unfortunately, an increase in violence in same sex relationships as we saw in a record number of calls from members of the LGBTQ community in the past week. Thankfully, we were able to respond swiftly and offer therapy, access to other YWCA services and a warm handover to our partners in the LGBTQ community.
None of this would ever be possible without ongoing financial support from our existing funders, statutory or foundation, and the many donations from individuals who recognize the need to support victims of family violence. This past week, we were fortunate to receive new funding from the Women’s Foundation of California for the first time, allowing us to increase our emergency services to women in transition and support our increased operating costs. Thank you!
YWCA Monterey County Program Updates
Outreach and Prevention:
After reaching out to various schools we worked with last year, we are now working with East Alisal High, Greenfield Union School District and Rancho Cielo on developing programming for the coming school year. We all recognize that this may have to be online but are working on coming up with creative responses that meet each individual school.
Stand Against Racism
April is the time for all YWCAs across the USA to Stand Against Racism together. YWCA-MC organized four days of online events hosted through Social Media. Our supporters took part in a virtual round table where we discussed ideas to promote racial equality. Supporters took online pledges promising to stand against racism and posted their support on their social media pages using fillable signs. Our last event was recognizing women of color who have made a positive impact in our world. Some amazing women were recognized so go over to our Facebook page and check it out!
