Dear Friends,

“Everybody can do something. Just do something.” So said Tamar Manesseh, our keynote speaker at our recent Racial Justice Summit. Tamar said she wasn’t an activist or a community organizer. She described herself as “just a mother.” But when a woman in her neighborhood was murdered, Tamar did something. 

She invited her neighbors to a barbecue at 75th and Stewart in Chicago, where the murder took place. The barbecues have continued, and Tamar has built a coalition – including people from outside of the neighborhood – that is working to end violence. 

Tamar’s story resonates with me, and I find myself grateful for all of you who are “doing something” by being engaged with YWCA Evanston/North Shore. I hope you will look for ways to deepen this engagement. I fervently believe that it’s not enough for any of us to simply think about racial justice. We need to act on it.

Please continue to join with us to learn what you, personally, can do to dismantle racism. Together we can make a difference. 

Karen Singer
President/CEO
Stand With Us Today!
No matter where you live, you can take a stand against racism on Friday.

Stand together in Skokie from 10:25-10:50 a.m. in various locations throughout the City.

Stand together in Evanston on Ridge Avenue (near Church Street) from 2:00-2:25 pm – later in the day than in previous years.

Learn more here. 
Please Join Us for Woman's Club Benefit to Support Bridges on May 5!
We’re honored that the Woman’s Club of Evanston is naming Bridges, our longer-term housing program, as the beneficiary of its annual spring benefit on May 5 at Evanston Golf Club. All are welcome to attend!

You can learn more about this special event and purchase tickets here.
Flying Fish Swimmers Place Fourth at Invitational
More than 50 swimmers on our Flying Fish swim team participated in the Sun Kissed Invitational, a national meet in Charlotte, North Carolina, April 5-8. The team placed fourth overall and highlights included first-place finishes from Aidan Dillon, Ethan Lim, and Evan Ziolkowski.

Read more here.
Swim for a Great Cause!
Do you love to swim? We do. How about swimming for 30 minutes straight as part of a 240 leg relay to raise money so that all children can learn to swim?

Our 5th annual 24 hour Oz Relay, in memory of Oswald Roper, will start at 1 pm on Saturday, May 19th and end at 1 pm on Sunday, May 20th. Our goal is to fill all five lanes in our pool with swimmers for the 24 hour period.

How does it work?

In honor of Oswald and the 20 years he taught swimming at YWCA, each Oz Relay participant is asked to raise $108 for each 30 minute leg they swim. Each $108 donation will support one full scholarship (7 lessons) for a child from our community whose family could not otherwise afford the cost. They'll receive life-saving, and potentially life-changing, swim instruction. You'll feel great!

Learn more about the 24-hour Relay for Oz here.
40-Hour Training for Domestic Violence Offered in July
YWCA Evanston/North Shore is an approved Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Professionals (ICDVP) training site for 40-hour domestic violence training, which provides a solid base of knowledge for anyone working with individuals affected by domestic violence. The training, which will be held at YWCA, is open to both volunteers and professionals, covers all ICDVP required topics using a trauma informed lens.

Training will take place Mondays and Wednesdays from from July 9 through July 25.

Learn more more here.
Racial Justice Summit Focuses on Action
Tamar Manasseh reminded attendees at our third annual Racial Justice Summit that they can make a difference by getting personally involved. “We think that problems like violence happen to ‘them over there,’ but what’s happening somewhere else is happening to all of us.”

Read more about the summit here.
Your Monthly Donation Makes A Difference!
Your gift supports critical YWCA programs year-round when you become a Sustaining Donor! For as little as $10 a month, or 33 cents a day, your monthly gift helps provide emergency shelter and longer-term housing for domestic violence survivors, scholarships for families so every girl and boy can learn to swim, financial literacy classes for low-income women, and racial justice trainings that help strengthen our communities. Give monthly, and make a difference today, and every day!  
YWCA Evanston/North Shore | Phone 847-864-8445 | ywca@ywcae-ns.org | www.ywca.org/evanston