YWCA Boulder County Weekly Update
We have extended the temporary closure of Children's Alley through May 3, 2020 following the extended stay-at-home order and recommendations from Public Health and early childhood education. While our physical classroom doors are closed to keep our children, teachers and families safe, the learning, connectivity and resources are plentiful. Our talented teaching staff is providing virtual learning, teaching and even a cooking show to demonstrate healthy recipes. Most importantly, the love and passion we have for the children and families we work with remains steadfast as together we get through this challenging time.

Thank you for your support in the past, your future support and the incredible gifts you are providing to us during this unprecedented time and collective experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stand Against Racism Week
April 20-26, 2020
Join us for YWCA’s fourteenth annual Stand Again Racism week of activism, when we will join others around the country to raise awareness around racial justice issues that pose barriers to civic engagement for communities of color.

Our collective efforts can root out injustice, transform institutions, and create a world that sees women, girls, and people of color the way we do: Equal. Powerful. Unstoppable.
Learn more and join us at standagainstracism.org.

Stay tuned for our kick-off email on Monday with more information about each daily activity and for daily social media posts on our Facebook , Twitter and Instagram pages.

Stand Against Racism 2020 Activities
Monday, 4/20/2020: 
- Educate & Empower via Social Media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - Engage your virtual community in Stand Against Racism Week
- Launch a Census Texting Party - Generate momentum with your friends, family and social media networks to make sure everyone gets counted.

Tuesday, 4/21/2020:
- Attend our Reading to End Racism Structural Racism Discussion at 7:00 p.m. We will incorporate themes from the book The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates from the RER Literary Book Club. Register by emailing Debbie Pope at dpope@ywcaboulder.org.

Wednesday, 4/22/2020:
- Call or write to your legislators to show your support for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (VRAA), Native American Voting Rights Act (NAVRA) and to demand action on the racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths.
- Visit the YWCA Online Action Center. https://ywca.quorum.us/SAR/?

Thursday, 4/23/2020:
- Watch the YWCA USA National Tele-Town Hall, Thursday, April 23 at 1:00-2:45 p.m. MST (3:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. EST).

YWCA Stand Against Racism National Tele-Town Hall
Voting rights, census participation, and civic engagement are, and have always been, essential to racial justice. As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts all aspects of life, it is also exacerbating the impact of systemic and structural racism on communities of color across health, education, justice, and economic sectors. In this moment, our collective efforts to secure full access at the ballot box, to ensure a fair and complete Census count, and to stand against racism-whenever and wherever it happens-are more important than ever.

Join us for a national tele-town hall where we will:
  • Explore the issues with national leaders in the movement for racial justice and gender equity
  • Learn best practices and build skills for effective civic engagement amidst social distancing
  • Motivate and inspire our nationwide networks for the work of racial justice

Thursday, April 23, 2020
1:00-2:45 p.m. MST (3:00 - 4:45 p.m. EST)

Speakers include:
Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO, YWCA USA
Cecile Richards, Co-chair, Supermajority
Vanita Gupta, President & CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights
Valerie Jarrett, Co-Chair, United State of Women & When We All Vote
Ai-Jen Poo, Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Virginia Kase, CEO, League of Women Voters
Melanie Campbell, President & CEO, National Council on Black Civic Participation

Friday, 4/24/2020: 
- Take the YWCA Stand Against Racism Pledge and share it on Social Media.

Saturday, 4/25/2020:
- Write a Letter to the Editor for your local newspaper about VAWA, VRAA, NAVRA and/or the racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths.

Sunday, 4/26/2020: 
- Check back in with your family and friends to make sure everyone has completed the Census.

Help us track our impact!
Each day you complete a Stand Against Racism Activity, record your participation here: https://bit.ly/2020StandAgainstRacismImpact
RER Virtual Literary Book Club
There's still time to join our Reading to End Racism Literary Book Club!

Tuesday, April 21
7:00 p.m.

We have started our virtual book club with our first book, “The Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coates and are already halfway through it.  As part of Stand Against Racism Week, we will be merging our book club discussion of the final half of the book with a discussion of structural racism. Stand Against Racism participants are welcome to join us without having read the book.

If you are interested in joining, please email Debbie Pope at dpope@ywcaboulder.org .
YWCA Virtual Activities
YWCA Boulder County is dedicated to supporting parents and families during this crisis. As we all deal with the Coronavirus pandemic, the YWCA is providing virtual activities and learning opportunities from our Children's Alley teachers . 



Our new Parent Resource emails have received some great responses and we have received some great feedback too. We are here to help all parents and families with activity and wellness resources as we weather this challenging time together.

We are now sending the Parent Resource emails every other week and providing more resources through our Facebook page.

Like our Facebook page and stay tuned for more resources and more videos from our Children's Alley teaching staff!


Parent Resource Weekly will be sent to our Children's Alley families and any other interested parents.

If you would like to receive the Parent Resource Weekly, please sign up here or by clicking the button below.
Order through AmazonSmile
During the Stay-at-Home Order I know many of us have been ordering more essentials online and through Amazon.com.


We will receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

Every little bit helps!
COVID-19 Info and Community Resources
Below are some community resources, which are also posted on our regularly updated COVID-19 blog post with additional resources:

Cloth Face Coverings - Stop the Spread

To limit the spread of coronavirus, Govenor Polis has asked Coloradoans to wear face masks when they leave their homes for essential activities allowed under the state's Stay-At-Home order.




Domestic Violence Resources

For some in our community, staying home is also not safe.

This is a stressful time for all of us. The uncertainty created by the COVID-19 public health emergency combined with social isolation, reduced access to employment and food, and in some cases lack of child care, is difficult for many families and individuals to endure. Please reach out to your family, friends, and neighbors by phone or video during this time, and help ensure they feel supported.

We also recognize that for some families and individuals, the difficulties are too much to handle. The Boulder County Abuse and Neglect Hotline is available 24 hours a day, every day, at 303-441-1309.

Boulder County responds to concerns around potential abuse and neglect by working with families and individuals to understand their challenges and -in many cases- connecting them with supports they may need. The safety of children and at-risk adults is a top priority. Anyone witnessing a child or at-risk adult in a life-threatening situation should call 911 immediately.


Here are some tips from SPAN: Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence:

If a friend or a neighbor is in trouble, what can you do?

  • Help them plan where they (and the children), could go in an emergency or if they decide to leave.
  • Agree on a code word or signal they can use to let you know they need help.
  • Help them prepare an excuse so they can leave quickly if they feel threatened.
  • Find out about how the police can protect them, and if calling the police is an option.
  • Help them prepare an "escape bag" and hide it in a safe place. If they leave, they will need money, keys, clothes, bank cards, driver's licence, social security documents, property deeds, medication, birth certificates, passport and any other important documents.
  • Think if it is safe to help interrupt an episode of violence, create a code so you can knock on the door.
  • If they decide to stay they may need to think about other ways to protect themselves and the children from further violence.

***Be careful. Don't place yourself in a position where the person who is being abusive could harm or manipulate you. Don't try to intervene directly if you witness a person being assaulted - call the police instead.***

24-Hour Crisis Line: 303-444-2424

Community and City Resources
  • EFAA will continue to provide services throughout the stay-at-home order, with adjusted hours.


  • Community Food Share has a Coronavirus Preparedness & Prevention page with information on how to get food and how you can help.



  • If your employment has been affected by COVID-19 closures, you can learn more about filing for unemployment benefits with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) and file for unemployment benefits.



  • If you need a local food bank or essential items or services, check out: Community Food Share, OUR Center, EFAA, Harvest Hope Pantry, Nederland Food Pantry, Sister Carmen Community Center, A Precious Child, Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley, Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund, Colorado Pet Pantry

  • If you need food or services for seniors, check out: Meals on Wheels Boulder, Longmont Meals on Wheels, Coal Creek Meals on Wheels, Jewish Family Services, Cultivate, Boulder County Area Agency on Aging, and Nederland Area Seniors.


Local Information about COVID-19



Thank YOU for your support!
Our work would not be possible without the support of passionate individuals and businesses like you who support our programs and services.

If you can, please consider making a donation in whatever amount you are able . Your donation is tax-deductible and eligible for the Colorado Childcare Contribution Tax Credit. Together, we will weather these difficult times and continue our work to eliminate racism and empower women.
YWCA Boulder County | ywcaboulder.org