Dear Friends,

One of my favorite days here at YWCA Evanston/North Shore is our “holiday store” day, which was held December 13. The building hummed with conviviality and warmth as women from our emergency shelter and Bridges (our longer term housing community) selected gifts for their children from an array of toys, clothes, and other items donated through our “Lend a Hand” program. 

In addition, the women received gifts of their own, which were also donated through “Lend a Hand.”

All of these gifts are meaningful to the women and children we serve, who often arrive here with nothing more than the clothes they’re wearing. 

Many thanks to those of you who donate gifts and to those of you who donated your time to wrap these gifts and help at the holiday store. And a special thank you to Flying Fish swimmer, Halley Seed, who spearheaded shopping for the “Lend a Hand” program. 

We are grateful to all of our donors and supporters for all you do to support all of our programs and services throughout the year.

The kindness and support of the entire YWCA community means a great deal to our YWCA families. Watch this video for a heart-warming thank you from some of the residents of Bridges, our longer-term housing for survivors of domestic violence.

Happy holidays and my warmest wishes,

Karen Singer
President/CEO
This holiday season, your gift can help end domestic violence.
  • $150 helps keep our crisis line open 24 hours a day to answer calls from survivors.     
  • $250 provides a night of emergency shelter and support for women fleeing abuse. 
  • $500 provides counseling to help children and adults heal from the trauma of domestic violence. 
  • $1,000 provides longer-term housing and support services for survivors.
  • $1,500 supports our men’s leadership program that teaches men how to be allies in the work to end domestic violence.

Donate $150 or more by December 31st, and your gift will be matched by an anonymous donor. Or make your giving easy and become a Sustaining Donor for just $10/month. 

You can make a difference.
Evanston Swims! – our mission in action
We are proud to be a lead partner in Evanston Swims!, which is dedicated to teaching water safety and swim instruction to Evanston second graders at no cost to their families. The program recently launched its sixth season.

You can read more about Evanston Swims! here, and our own Mary Miller, who coordinates the program, here.
Volunteer at YWCA’s new resale shop!
“It’s a really fun job,” says Wilmette resident Christy Coughlin (top row, second from right) who volunteers once a week. “You greet people, help them find things, work on displays – it’s never boring. And it’s all for a good cause. I have a soft spot in my heart for the YW.”

Learn more about our resale shop – from volunteering to donating clothes to shopping – here.
Join us in January for a workshop on entrepreneurship
Are you thinking of starting a business or do you already own a small business? Join us for this free workshop:

THE REAL DEAL(!)
On Starting a Business

January 11, 2019, 9 - 11 am
YWCA Evanston/North Shore, Room 207

Jessica Oldani (pictured) of Oldani Entrepreneurial Law will lead this comprehensive workshop about what you need to know to turn your idea into reality and run a small business. Learn more and register for this free workshop here.
Flying Fish swim marathon to mark 25th anniversary
The Flying Fish swim marathon, an annual event that raises funds to support the work of YWCA Evanston/North Shore, will mark 25 years in 2019.

In the last 24 years, Flying Fish swimmers, who solicit family and friends to sponsor them for each length they swim in an hour, have collectively raised over $1.5 million through the swim marathon to support YWCA services and programs -- domestic violence, economic advancement, racial and gender equity, and aquatics access and opportunity. It's part of what makes the award winning Flying Fish program so special.

If your business or family is interested in sponsorship opportunities for this milestone event, which will take place in late January, please contact Aquatics Director and Flying Fish Head Coach Pete Caragher.
Save Thursday, April 11 for our 2019 Equity Summit!
Our 4th annual Equity Summit (formerly the Racial Justice Summit) will offer an opportunity to gather our collective resources in one place for a one-day summit open to the public. The goal is to bring people – of all ages and demographics – together to deepen their understanding of their own racial identities, develop skills to work for change, formulate action plans, and engage with others.

Exciting plans are underway for our 2019 Summit, which will take place on Thursday, April 11, 2019. Registration is expected to open in early February. Please save the date!
We love our Corporate Partners!
YWCA Evanston/North Shore | Phone 847-864-8445 | ywca@ywca-ens.org | www.ywca-ens.org