YWCA Glendale: Our Response to Current Events & Key Updates – April 2021
Introducing YWCA Glendale and Pasadena
After a year of running joint girls’ empowerment programs, YWCA Glendale and YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley are officially joining forces to become YWCA Glendale and Pasadena. YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley will become a subsidiary of YWCA Glendale, and as the parent organization, YWCA Glendale has changed its name to YWCA Glendale and Pasadena. The two organizations will have fully integrated leadership, operations, and programming under Tara Peterson, Chief Executive Officer. Read the FAQ
YWCA Glendale & YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley Denounce Racism Against AAPI Community
Between March and December 2020, Stop AAPI Hate documented 2,808 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian hate. The majority of incidents – 43% took place in California. The Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council reports 250 hate incidents and hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been reported in Los Angeles County since the beginning of the pandemic, but they believe there are many more that have gone unreported. YWCA Glendale and YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley will be convening their respective communities in the coming weeks to discuss the policy and community organizing efforts taking place to stop racist acts of violence against AAPI communities. “We applaud Governor Gavin Newsom for signing the AB85 pandemic budget bill, which includes $1.4 million for researchers at the Asian American Studies Center at the University of California Los Angeles and the Stop AAPI Hate website.” READ MORE
On 4/28 from 6-7PM, we invite you to join YWCA Glendale, YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Korean Resource Center, and U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu for an important conversation on the rise of hate crimes against the AAPI community and the policy and advocacy work being done to address it.
YWCA Glendale Announces 2021 Heart & Excellence Honorees
The YWCA Glendale is delighted to announce that our 24th Annual Heart & Excellence Awards will take place virtually on April 14, 2021 from 12PM-1PM. This event will bring together distinguished guests, government officials, business industry leaders, and current and past event honorees, who exemplify excellence and amplify the YWCA’s mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. This year’s event theme is Rise to Recovery and will recognize women from Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena who have demonstrated tremendous leadership in navigating the many challenges of COVID-19 and have answered the urgent calls for racial, gender, and social justice. READ MORE
A Message from YWCA Glendale’s CEO Tara Peterson on the Insurrection at the Nation’s Capitol
“As we continue to process the devastating acts we witnessed in yesterday’s insurrection at the Nation’s Capitol, we extend our support to those seeking answers and a path forward to a more just and equitable country. Yesterday’s acts of domestic terrorism and white supremacist violence are an affront to our democracy and to every person in our country. As an organization on the frontlines of racial justice and anti-violence work, we remain committed as ever to the heavy lifting that must be done to address white supremacy in our community and in our country. I cannot think of a more important time for YWCA Glendale to launch our 21 Day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge. We invite you to join us on January 18th-February 7th to expand your knowledge of interpersonal and institutional racism and the ways in which racism and anti-Blackness show up in our personal lives, communities, and institutions. Now is the time for us to come together to learn, grow, and heal under YWCA’s bold and urgent mission of eliminating racism and empowering women,” Tara Peterson, YWCA Glendale CEO. READ MORE
YWCA Glendale Receives Historic $1M Donation from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott
GLENDALE, CA – On December 16th, Novelist, Billionaire, and Venture Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced $4.2 billion in charitable giving to 384 organizations, providing the YWCA Glendale with a historic $1M gift. This latest round of funding is part of Scott’s pledge to donate a majority of her fortune. Over 6,500 organizations were vetted through a rigorous, data-driven approach that engaged hundreds of funders, field experts, and advisors who assessed proven leadership, evidence of impact, program outcomes, and ability to strategically employ funds. READ MORE
Supporting Survivors During COVID-19
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
This month, we’d like to take you on a virtual tour of our shelter to share how we are responding to the needs of survivors during COVID-19. We are currently fundraising to complete a backyard landscaping project at the shelter so we can provide a safe, private and healing space for families leaving violent relationships. We’d love to have your support! You can follow us on social media where we will be posting information about domestic violence and the resources available to support survivors in English, Spanish and Armenian. For more information on our growing service numbers and our 10/22 Purple Tie Awards, honoring men working to end domestic violence in our community, please read our October newsletter.
YWCA Glendale Chosen As 2020 Nonprofit of the Year By Assemblymember Laura Friedman
YWCA Glendale is proud to announce it has been selected as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year by California Assemblymember Laura Friedman. YWCA Glendale is one of over a hundred other nonprofits that will be honored by their state senators and assembly members for their tremendous contributions to the communities they serve.
“The challenges of COVID-19 were not only to respond to the pandemic itself, but it caused a dramatic swell in domestic violence case loads as a side effect of isolation in place. We are pleased that our organization also rose to the challenges of calls for racial justice that have already led to social change. We are humbled to be recognized by Assemblymember Laura Friedman as Nonprofit of the Year for our work to advance gender equity and racial justice,” Valerie Merritt, YWCA Glendale Board President. READ THE PRESS RELEASE HERE
Historic Sundown Town Resolution Unanimously Passed by Glendale City Council
In June 2020, the YWCA Glendale, Black in Glendale and a group of committed community members, parents, educators, and faith leaders formed the Coalition for an Anti-Racist Glendale to lead the community forward following the murder of George Floyd and to lay the groundwork for systemic change to address racial inequities in Glendale. The Coalition determined that a critical starting point for this work would be the passage of a formal resolution to acknowledge and apologize for Glendale’s documented history as a sundown town. On September 15th, the Glendale City Council unanimously voted to pass the Sundown Town Resolution, making it the third city in the country to take this courageous step of reckoning with its past to move toward a more equitable future. You can visit our Racial Justice program page for links to media coverage on the resolution from LA Times, Spectrum News, NBC4, PBS American Portrait, and more.
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 28th 6PM: Stand Against Racism – STOP AAPI HATE – Registration Now Open
April 22-25th: Stand Against Racism Social Media Campaign
April 14th: 24th Annual Heart & Excellence Awards: Virtual Edition – Ticket Sales are Open!
April 14th & 21st 3:30PM-4:30PM: Tech GYRLS Earth Day Community Science Workshops – Registration Now Open
TechGYRLS Robotics Workshops: April 6th & 8th at 4PM – Registration Now Open
February 10th-April 28th: After School Performing Arts Workshops for Girls w/ Anteaus Theatre Company (held virtually) – Registration Now Open
January 12th-May 22nd: 2021 Girls Circle After School Programming (held virtually), Registration Now Open
