August 2019
A message from our Executive Director...
Dear Friend,
The other day I ran into two former board members at a Glendale Arts fundraiser: Page White who served in the 70s and Bruce Hinkley who served in the 90s. YWCA Glendale was one of the first local YW associations in the nation to elect men to our board of directors.
As you know, YWCA Glendale is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all, and we certainly focus on women’s needs and issues. But we also recognize the important role men play in eliminating racism and empowering women, and that's why our board and staff include men as a part of our commitment to diverse representation.
Currently we have three men serving on our board, and we just recently hired two new male
advocates to work directly with women in crisis. Reflecting on the men who have been involved with YW throughout the decades, I was inspired to think about ways we can truly engage men as
allies in uplifting women and girls.
As I was brainstorming ideas, I was quickly reminded of the men whom I’ve had
the opportunity of meeting and working with over the past three years, and I am
beyond excited to announce our inaugural YWCA Glendale Purple Tie Awards. Held
during our annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month Candlelight Vigil, the Purple
Tie Awards will highlight men in our community who support survivors and
choose to build a future free from violence.
Domestic Violence, sexual assault, and stalking are not just women’s issues,
they are community issues and gender equality cannot be achieved without the
involvement of men and boys. We have more work to further engage men in our
work it’s a critical to our work in changing attitudes and beliefs that promote
violence against women. Thank you for being a part of our efforts to create positive change.
Sincerely,
Tara Peterson
Executive Director
YWCA Glendale
August Donor Spotlight: Bonnie and Daniel James
- What first drew you to
give to YWCA Glendale?
Bonnie: I had wanted to donate to a domestic violence shelter for a
while because it's an issue close to my heart, and when I researched YWCA
Glendale and saw that they not only provide emergency services, but legal,
mental health, and prevention classes, I was all in!
Daniel: I feel strongly about enabling people to do work that I am
not personally equipped to do. Bonnie had discovered what YWCA
Glendale was doing in our community and we decided to support them in their
cause.
- What are you passionate
about?
Bonnie: Everything? If
I'm into something I'm all in. I guess as far as causes, I'm
passionate about domestic violence prevention and gun violence
prevention. For more fun passions, I'm really into games–board
games, video games, puzzles, word games. I love podcasts from the
Maximum Fun community of podcasts. I really love knitting and
calligraphy/lettering. Music has always been a passion of mine
because of how it's such a great way to express emotions in a way words
can't. I could go on, but I'm not sure there's enough room for
everything.
Daniel: Programming, biking, transit, coffee, data.
- Who are some of your
favorite influential women in history?
Bonnie: I feel like history
writers are only just starting to write about amazing women from history,
so it's hard to say who my favorite woman from history is, cause I still
have so many women to read about! I will say some of my favorite
women making history right now are Bernice King, Nelba Márquez-Greene, and
Brené Brown. These women fight for love, vulnerability, living with
grief, courage, and speaking truth even when it's hard. Really,
there are a lot of women doing amazing work right now in all kinds of
fields who I admire, but these ladies always come to mind first.
Daniel: Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace, Mae Jemison, Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- What was the last book
you read?
Bonnie: Do graphic novels count? Cause I think it was either
"Glitch" by Sarah Graley or "The Adventure Zone: Murder on
the Rockport Limited" by Clint, Griffin, Justin, and Travis McElroy
and Carey Pietsch. The last book I read was "Fight Like a
Mother" by Shannon Watts.
Daniel: The last two books I finished reading were: "An
Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management", and "Radical
Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent". I'm currently reading:
"Fight Like a Mother" and "Hope in the Dark: Untold
Histories, Wild Stories".
- Do you have any pets?
We have
one cat named Rufus!
- What is your favorite
place in Southern California?
Bonnie: Zuma Beach
Daniel: Ventura because it's chill, Downtown San Diego because it's
pedestrian-focused and has amazing food, and hiking and biking up in the
Angeles National Forest behind NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
- What do you regret not
doing in the last year?
Bonnie: Listening to Lizzo
sooner! So many months I missed out on rocking to "Good as
Hell"!
Daniel: Buying my own bike sooner.
- What is your guilty
pleasure?
Bonnie:
Stress
eating ice cream. TCHO chocolate gelato, anything from Carmela's,
and Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy are a few of my favorites.
Daniel: Really fancy coffee.
- Where did you grow up
and what were you like as a child?
Bonnie: I grew up in Texas in
the DFW area. I was a very loud, opinionated, in charge, fiery
child. I would yell at bullies and go after anyone that was trying to hurt
my friends, but I also was very emotionally sensitive. I couldn't
eat gummy bears or ice cream shaped like a clown cause I didn't want to
hurt them and had strong emotional outbursts to books and movies. I
remember sobbing in class in third grade when our teacher read "Where
the Red Fern Grows" aloud and not being able to sleep for months
after watching "Jaws".
Daniel: I grew up in Arleta in the San Fernando Valley. I was
a rambunctious, nerdy child who starting programming when I was ten.
I was very active but never particularly wanted to participate in
team sports, so I figured skated for much of my teens.
- What
would you like to pass on to future generations?
Bonnie: I think I would like to pass on the ability to have hope in
the face of despair, courage and the ability to face fears in a scary
world, the value of vulnerability, joy in the face of sorrows, the power
of using their voice (especially when it comes to speaking truth to
power), the magic of songs and dancing even when people are watching, and
the knowledge that it is possible to live with deep grief and still
thrive.
Daniel: I think the things I’d like to pass on are also things I am
looking for and working toward myself: a rooted sense of where home is, an
abiding sense of belonging, and a resilient sense of community.
Announcing the First Annual Purple Tie Awards - October 3
YWCA Glendale and the City of Glendale Commission on
the Status of Women invite you to the
“Take A Stand” Candlelight Vigil and Purple Tie Awards
Thursday, October 3, 2019
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
YWCA Glendale
735 E. Lexington Drive
Glendale, CA 91206
*Purple attire encouraged*
Join us for our annual Candlelight Vigil
to honor victims of domestic violence and celebrate the voices of survivors, and Take A Stand To Make A Difference with our inaugural Purple Tie Awards
highlighting men who work to
support domestic violence survivors and who work toward the elimination of
violence against women and families in Glendale.
2019 Purple Tie Honorees
Law Enforcement Advocate
Sgt. Alex Krikorian, Glendale Police Department
Volunteer Advocate
James Maddox, MSW, ASW
Community Partner Advocate
Albert Hernandez, Executive Director
Family Promise of the Verdugos
Did You Attend Your Local "National Night Out"?
On Tuesday August 6 YWCA Glendale joined
Glendale Police in celebrating the 35th anniversary of National
Night Out at Pacific Community Center – just one of the 37 NNO Events in
Glendale! Many great local organizations such as Glendale Public Library,
Glendale Community College, Pasadena Humane Society, Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley, Moms Demand Action and ACLU were on hand to showcase the wonderful resources
they have to offer. Senator Anthony Portantino and City Council Member Paula
Devine also stopped by to show their support. We thoroughly enjoyed the
evening’s food, music and games and met many new friends. See you next year for
National Night Out 2020!
Meet Our Volunteer of The Month: Milen Coronado, a.k.a. Camp Rosie Champion!
"Not only have I met amazing and empowering women and girls, but also a supportive community that provides a variety of resources for families in need. My time with YWCA Glendale so far is an experience I won’t forget!"
“I am currently on my second year at California State
University, Northridge majoring in Liberal Studies. I have been
fortunate enough to volunteer for Camp Rosie for two sessions this summer. I have always had a
passion for helping students, which is why Camp Rosie at YWCA caught
my attention when searching for volunteer opportunities for the summer. During
my time at Camp Rosie, I helped girls from the age of 10-14 adjust to the idea
of being prepared for anything that’s thrown at them in life. For instance,
learning how to change a flat tire on their bike, how to practice self-defense,
how to use their resources within the community, and most importantly, getting
out of their comfort zone while working with Glendale Arts. The experience gained at Camp
Rosie has helped me take a leadership role with the girls by assisting them
with the activities. Not only have I met amazing and empowering women and
girls, but also a supportive community that provides a variety of resources for
families in need. My time with YWCA Glendale so far is an experience I won’t
forget!”
Thank You, July Donors!!
Thanks to all the generous donors who made a gift in July. We appreciate your support!
Click here to make a gift to support YWCA Glendale!
Arlene Vidor
Benjamin Leis
Daniel & Bonnie James
Harry Webb Trust
Jerome French
Miryam Finkelberg
Susan Hunt
Kiwanis Club of Glendale, including:
Elissa Glickman
Rosemary Montana & Glenn Wiener
Nick Nagy
Laurel Patric
Robert Praun
Andrew Roth
Randy Slaughter
Suzonne Slaughter
Pamela Spiszman
Special Donors Make Back-to-School Easier for Families in DV Program
Donations such as these back-to-school backpacks from OnTrac, The Joint Chiropractic and Salem Lutheran Church are much more than school supplies for the children in our Domestic Violence Program. For children who have been exposed to violence at home, having trusted adults to turn to for comfort and support is critical to their healing, and regaining a sense of routine and stability is especially important for those who have moved homes, changed schools and left behind familiar support systems. YWCA Glendale is here for these children and their families, because supporters like you do so much to help.
Reflections on Camp Rosie
 Reflecting on all three sessions of Camp Rosie, Camp Director Dannielle says that at that age (11-14) girls are often not heard and so for some of the girls, they were suprised to find mentors in staff and visiting instructors. What makes Camp Rosie unique is its commitment to a safe community where the girls can support one other and explore their potential.
Dannielle recounts a moment where she said to one of the campers who was from Boyle Heights, “We're taking you to City
Hall because it’s important for you to know how decisions are made in your
community. When you think about politics, it’s not just about the president; there’s
a lot of work that happens at the local level.”
Thanks to Christine Powers at the City of Glendale, the girls were able to take a tour of City Hall and learn about local government.
At the end of the visit, it was clear that the camper could see herself as part of her community, as she remarked, “I’m going to go find the City Hall where I am from!”
Thanks to our partners, Soroptimist International of Glendale and Glendale Arts, as well as all our sponsors, for making a difference in the lives of so many girls this summer! We look forward to sharing our Camp Rosie evaluation report with you soon!
Did You Miss It? Camp Rosie in the Glendale News-Press
Click here to read the article! https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/story/2019-07-30/camp-rosie-glendale
735 East Lexington Drive Glendale, CA 91206
Phone (818) 242-4155 | info@glendaleywca.org
YWCA Glendale © 2019 All rights reserved.
YWCA Glendale is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
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