Dear Friends,

How do we respond to all that is happening in our country right now?

With life-altering events roiling our nation daily, we are aware that YWCA’s mission, our work, is all the more relevant and urgent! 

We see this urgency expressed across our country as we witness a surge of activism and advocacy. We hear voices throughout our communities every day exposing the code of silence that keeps in place a system of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and racial injustice.

It takes courage to give voice to truth in the face of injustice -- the courage of those publicly revealing their sexual assault in spite of unrelenting attacks on their character; the courage of the next generation of women determined to use their voices to tell their own personal truths, the courage of an abused woman picking up the phone and calling our crisis line. We see this courage every single day. And we respond with, “I hear you. I believe you. How can I support you?"

Although we know that progress isn’t fast, and it isn’t inevitable, YWCA Evanston/North Shore is even more determined to make our voices heard, to continue to lead the way in being a champion for the rights of ALL women…to be a leader in creating real and lasting change.

We're not new to this, we're true to this.

Thanks for your support.

Karen Singer
President/CEO
How can you make domestic violence your business?
Three out of four women will never experience domestic violence, but that means that one out of every four women will. No matter your zip code, ethnicity, income or education level, or religion. We're here for that one woman in four, and you should be too. Make domestic violence your business.

If you are looking for ways to heighten your own awareness, here are some resources:


Another way to get personally involved this month is to donate to the Allstate Foundation Purple Purse campaign to end domestic violence. Each year, this Crowdrise campaign raises critically needed funds to support domestic violence programs like ours. If we are able to win the campaign by raising the most money by 11:59 am on October 31, we will receive a $100,000 grant from Allstate. That's huge for us! It will help us support and expand our comprehensive domestic violence program, which serves over 700 women and their children each year.
Thanks for your support of our YWomen leadership celebration!
450 guests joined us to honor Victoria Dinges, Gloria Bond Clunie and Kelley Cambry at our YWomen Leadership Awards Celebration on October 13.

You can watch Susan Hope Engel’s powerful film from the evening and read more here.

Pictured above: Victoria Dinges (middle left), Gloria Bond Clunie (middle center), and Kelley Cambry (middle right) with YWomen Co-Chair Lisa Altenbernd and YWCA President/CEO Karen Singer
Meet: Tiffany McDowell, our new Equity Institute Director
We are thrilled to welcome Tiffany McDowell, our new Equity Institute Director, who joined YWCA Evanston/North Shore in August.

McDowell is a community psychologist and she brings expertise in using an equity lens to inform policy, advocacy, and program evaluation. She will lead development of the Equity Institute’s strategy for comprehensive training and consulting throughout the North Shore.

You can read more about Tiffany and the goals of the Equity Institute here. 
Peter Raffel, our new Aquatics Manager
Peter Raffel, who grew up swimming in YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s pools, has been named aquatics manager and will oversee the award-winning Flying Fish Swim School.

“I learned to swim here and I swam on the Flying Fish Swim Team,” said Raffel. “The nurturing atmosphere of the Flying Fish program laid the foundation for my love of the water.”

Read more about Peter and his plans for the Flying Fish Swim School here.
ENJOY
$20 OFF
$20 OFF your first Flying Fish Swim School session! New swimmers only. Email flyingfish@ywca-ens.org for discount code.

Registration is open for the next session, which begins November 1!
Special event at Kendra Scott boutique to benefit YWCA
Please join us on Thursday, November 8, at the Kendra Scott boutique at Old Orchard Mall from 5:30-7:30 pm for sips, sweets, and jewels. Kendra Scott will graciously donate 20 percent of all sales during this event to YWCA Evanston/North Shore.

Learn more 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!  
We love our Corporate Partners!
YWCA Evanston/North Shore | Phone 847-864-8445 | ywca@ywca-ens.org | www.ywca-ens.org