We would like to share this testimonial from one of our Persimmon Early Learning families:

"Like many parents, I was extremely concerned about putting my son in daycare during a global pandemic. I decided to give Persimmon Early Learning a call to discuss his daycare spot, which we had been pushing back each month waiting for cases to go down. Their amazing staff shared compassion and understanding for my hesitation and uncertainty around what to do, and was able to provide enough reassurance in their safety protocols that I decided to bring him in for a "trial" afternoon. Everyone was wearing masks, there was disinfectant at multiple touch points, only one family was allowed in the lobby at a time, and the list went on and on demonstrating they had clearly very carefully thought through all possible contamination points. The teachers were SO excited to meet him, wore masks the entire time, the infant room was immaculately clean, and a teacher was wiping down each individual page of a board book. The outside area had just been completely redone, and I could just tell that my son would be in a stimulating environment, with talented caregivers, and he would thrive at such an important development stage compared to being at home with me all day while working.

You might read this and think: "is that really worth the risk of exposure?". My response to that is there is risk, and there is calculated risk. The protocols in place at Persimmon Early Learning were so reassuring, that I feel good about our decision. This decision isn't for everyone, but I wanted to share my story so that parents finding themselves in a similar situation and be pleasantly surprised at the feeling of reassurance that comes with seeing how well-managed the establishment is running, with safety at the cornerstone of their work. I now realize how unbelievably stressed and guilty I felt while having him home every day. A huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders after spending months of feeling guilty about not being the mom or employee I wanted to be. I am so grateful for the freedom and happiness I've felt in even a single day, that we in fact phoned up and switched his contract from three days to five days.

I really appreciate the care and thoughtfulness that their dedicated staff have committed to Boulder families during these uncertain times." - E. L.

Persimmon Early Learning (formerly Children's Alley) is Now Enrolling for Permanent Childcare Slots starting Fall 2020

Start the enrollment process today to secure spots for permanent care starting in September 2020!

Visit our website and fill out our Interest Form to sign up for an Info Session, be notified of Virtual Tours (coming soon!), and begin the enrollment process today. 

For additional questions, please email Kate Hise at: khise@ywcaboulder.org.

We are taking the YWCA Dash & Bash 2020 VIRTUAL this year and are excited to once again celebrate the YWCA’s powerful mission to eliminate racism and empower women. Join us this year to help the YWCA meet its fundraising goal and continue providing our racial justice and affordable, high-quality child care programs to our community. With everything going on in the world, this work is more critical than ever - and your support is even more critical than ever.

If your company would like to partner with YWCA Boulder County and become an event sponsor, please contact Robyn Hazlitt at rhazlitt@ywcaboulder.org.

Join us for a deep dive into the long struggle for voting rights for women of color. Black women have long been at the forefront of the right to vote. Today, 100 years after the passage of the 19th Amendment and 55 years after the Voting Rights Act, the fight continues. Watch this short PBS video The Ongoing Fight, which we will discuss during this event with our panel of experts.

YWCAs across the country are a part of the Get Out the Vote collaboration in partnership with Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote initiative. This collaboration is focused on mobilizing younger women voters (18-25 years) and ensuring all eligible voters are registered and committed to voting. The YWCA will leverage accessible tools, including a QR code for registering, and leadership training for individuals in the community to mobilize and educate their networks to register and vote.

If you missed the YWomenVote2020 Virtual Town Hall, you can watch the recording here. YWCA USA CEO Alejandra Castillo and expert panelists together shared strategies, insights, and innovative approaches to engaging nearly 37 million eligible women of color voters in the U.S., and how to break down barriers to their full participation in the 2020 election.

Turn your advocacy into action by contacting your Senator and requesting they co-sponsor and pass the recently re-named John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (S. 561) today!

We’re thrilled to announce that our Manager of Community Engagement and Equity, Shiquita Yarbrough, has been promoted to Director of Community Engagement and Equity! In her new role, Shiquita will be overseeing all of the direct services related to social justice and equity including Latina Achievement Support (LAS), Reading to End Racism (RER), and our STEM E3 program.

In the past year, Shiquita has demonstrated impressive leadership and successfully transitioned all of our direct programming to a virtual platform to ensure the support and resources were available for families in our community during the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, she worked closely with our CEO, Debbie Pope, to create and co-lead a formalized racial justice training that was developed to engage the community in learning to create a more informed, empathetic and equitable place for families to live and thrive.

Going forward, Shiquita will also serve on the YWCA leadership team providing perspective and knowledge to the overall direction of our organization.

Becoming a monthly donor helps nonprofits like YWCA Boulder County by providing a reliable, sustainable revenue stream. Studies show the retention of a monthly donor is double that of a one-time donor, averaging 5-7 years. Monthly gifts, while sometimes smaller than a one-time gift, also provide the donor with an option for greater giving spread out over time.

Consider joining our monthly giving program and making the YWCA part of your monthly giving by registering at: www.ywcaboulder.org/donate

The funders below have provided financial support to ensure that the important work of the YWCA Boulder County continued during the COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of the many families served through the YWCA Boulder County as well as our staff and board, thank you for the foresight and generosity to help us stay fully staffed and effective within the community.

July 2020

I provide administrative support to the development team and manage our database of supporters.

I love how YWCA Boulder County makes a major impact right here in our community, while at the same time being part of a national and international movement with roots stretching back more than 150 years. I am inspired by having a connection to this community of amazing activists, past and present.

I spent 15 years working in museums, caring for artifacts and specimens, and managing loans to and from other museums. I have looked after everything from giant origami sculptures to Ben Franklin’s cufflinks. A day at work sometimes meant delivering a T. rex femur to one museum and picking up a World War I machine gun from another.

Thank you, Sunflower Bank, for being a wonderful Event Sponsor and supporter! Your event sponsorship is truly a transformational gift that is multiplied many times and helps us meet our fundraising event goals to fuel the YWCA's programs and services.