Your Monthly News & Updates
A Message from Advocacy Committee Chair, Elaina Shively
The YWCA has been at the forefront of the biggest issues of the day for over 160 years, including advancing the civil rights and women’s suffrage movements. That tradition of advocacy and action to advance our mission continues today. YWCA Boulder County has an active Advocacy Committee and we need your help in order to have another successful year.

I share my passion for social justice and pursuing equality with my colleagues on the Advocacy Committee. I’m honored to be in my second year as a board member for YWCA Boulder County, and the mission of eliminating racism and empowering women is personal to me. I’m a practicing criminal justice attorney with experience on both sides of the “criminal justice aisle”. In my day job, I’m fortunate to be able to work on criminal justice reform at a local and state level that advances equity, victim voice, and effective public safety such as expanding the use of Restorative Justice.

2020 is a big year for the Advocacy Committee and we spend meetings brainstorming where to leverage our network of supporters, how to amplify the voices of the people we serve, and how best to achieve our shared collective mission. The 100 th anniversary of the 19 th Amendment (1920) is an opportunity for us to consider intersectionality in the ongoing mission for advancing equal rights. While we celebrate women’s suffrage and the leaders who came before us, let’s remember that not all women were granted the right to vote in 1920. In some Southern states, black women were unable to freely exercise their right to vote until the 1960s, and Native Americans were not guaranteed the right to vote until 1965. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 helped strengthen voting rights. However, the Act is no longer fully intact as the Supreme Court’s decision in  Shelby County v. Holder  (2013) dismantled a key provision requiring states with a history of racial bias in voting to get permission before passing new voting laws. Unfortunately, we continue to see new attempts at legislation to eviscerate and restrict voting protections and it’s as important as ever to advocate to protect the right to vote.

Please stay tuned for ways to get involved and to make your voices heard. Finally, thank you for supporting YWCA Boulder County!

Best wishes,
Elaina Shively 
Thank You for an AMAZING Gala!
Saturday evening was a night to remember, with a ballroom packed full of our dedicated and generous supporters. Everyone looked FABULOUS in their 1920s style outfits!

Thank you to everyone who attended and donated. You helped us EXCEED our fundraising goal and we raised over $160,000 for our programs and services. This means the world to the clients we serve and our staff who work tirelessly to provide our programs and services to our community. THANK YOU!
 
Let us know what you thought !
 
Please give your feedback on the Gala and your overall impressions by completing this quick event survey below.
International Women's Day celebrated with "Each for Equal" Event
YWCA Boulder County, in partnership with the Women’s Collaborative of Boulder County (WoCoBoCo), sponsored "Each for Equal", an event recognizing International Women’s Day. 

Inspiring speakers like Lucy Marsh, professor at University of Denver Sturm College of Law, shared their fight and milestone wins in gender pay equity. Colorado House of Representative KC Becker and community activist, Carmen Ramirez, were the 2020 honorees for outstanding leadership. In addition, Debbie Pope, CEO, YWCA Boulder County, moderated a panel discussion about gender pay equity in the workplace and the challenges and opportunity to address the growing issue of salary inequity in Boulder County.  
YWCA Boulder County Early Childhood Education is growing!
For nearly 40 years, the YWCA has been an innovator in early childhood education by providing drop-in based, flexible, affordable child care to Boulder County families and surrounding communities. In August 2020, we will be expanding our program with two new, non-drop-in, traditional early learning classrooms for ages 15 months to 4 years. These traditional classrooms will support the same Level 4 Colorado Shines high-quality care that our drop-in program offers, featuring Storybook Journey curriculum, embedded wellness and nutrition programs, partnerships with Farm to ECE and Boulder County Child Health Promotion, as well as certifications through HEAL and Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO). The addition of traditional early childhood classrooms will help support and bridge affordable child care opportunities for families of Boulder County, while bolstering our ability to provide safe, quality drop-in care for those in need of temporary child care.
 
For enrollment and tuition information for our extended child care programs (traditional classrooms, infant care, and our school-year preschool program) or to schedule a tour, contact Kate Hise, Director of Early Childhood & Family Resources, at khise@ywcaboulder.org , or call: (303) 443-0419, ext. 111.
Volunteer Highlight: Debbie Davia
"I’ve been a YWCA Boulder County volunteer since 2010. I’ve mainly volunteered as a reader for the Reading to End Racism (RER) program.

My passion is social justice and I love the organization’s mission to end racism and empower women. Empowering women to stand as strong, intelligent role models for their children, both female and male, creates a generational example of being the people we all are meant to be.

I like volunteering with RER and hope that in some small way I can spark a passion in children to be fair, treat everyone equitably and kindly, and make a difference in a world that desperately needs young people to step up and be leaders of their peers for goodness and kindness.  
Outside of volunteering with YWCA, I enjoy gardening and spending time with my family - especially my grandchildren." - Debbie Davia
Now Enrolling for the 2020 -2021 School Year
Children's Alley is Now Enrolling for Permanent Childcare Slots starting Fall 2020

Start the enrollment process now to secure spots in our two new permanent classrooms opening in August 2020! Our permanent childcare classrooms will serve children 15 months to preschool age.

Children’s Alley is an experiential, play-based program offering approaches from Storybook Journey and Creative Curriculum that support child-led interests and child development. Our partnerships with Farm to ECE help cultivate our daily nutrition lessons. In addition, children can explore different types of movement through fitness and yoga classes with our Wellness Coordinator.

Our highly qualified teaching team works to strengthen all areas of child growth and pre-academic skills including social-emotional, gross and fine motor, early literacy, STEM, and social studies. YWCA Boulder County Children’s Alley is a Colorado Shines Level 4 Program. Our on-site Nutrition Coordinator prepares healthy snacks and meals daily for all children in our care. Other program partnerships include HEAL and ECHO Seed Grant for Outdoor Learning Environments.

Family tours will be held every Wednesday, starting March 11, from 10:00-11:00 AM. Call to schedule a tour and begin your enrollment process today: (303) 449-1951. For additional enrollment and tuition info, email Kate Hise at: khise@ywcaboulder.org .
Advocacy Updates
We just celebrated International Women's Day. What is International Women's Day?

International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. It’s a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities. 

Although we’ve made unprecedented advances, no country has achieved gender equality. 

Fifty years ago, we landed on the moon; in the last decade, we discovered new human ancestors and photographed a black hole for the first time. In the meantime, legal restrictions have kept 2.7 billion women from accessing the same choice of jobs as men. As of 2019, less than 25% of parliamentarians were women. One in three women experience gender-based violence, still. 

The emerging global consensus is that despite some progress, real change has been agonizingly slow for most women and girls in the world. Today, not a single country can claim to have achieved gender equality. Multiple obstacles remain unchanged in law and in culture. Women and girls continue to be undervalued; they work more and earn less and have fewer choices; and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public spaces. Furthermore, there is a significant threat of rollback of hard-won feminist gains. -From the United Nations online and the International Women’s Day website.
Donate your tax refund with ReFUND CO
Do you expect a state income tax refund? Now you can donate some or all of it!

It's a fast and simple way to support YWCA Boulder County. Visit refundwhatmatters.org to learn more and to find the nonprofit registration number to enter on your tax return. When you complete your state tax return, enter registration #20023006070 for YWCA Boulder County.
Meet the Staff: Vicki Tiedeman
Vicki Tiedeman, Bookkeeper

Vicki started volunteering at the YWCA in 2006. She worked part-time as a substitute office manager, then worked as the morning office manager for Children’s Alley in 2012 and has been the YWCA’s bookkeeper since January of 2013.

Favorite thing about YWCA Boulder County: “My favorite thing about the YWCA is working with a wonderful, passionate group of women!”

Something about me: “I play the fiddle in a band.” 
Thank you Lily's Sweets, 2020 Gala Sponsor
Thank you, Lily's Sweets, for being an incre dible Event Sponsor and supporter of several of our events !

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.

If you attended our Gala, you might remember that the chocolate bars we sold for the drawing for the Cruiser Bike or the Walters & Hogsett Fine Jewelers gift certificate were several delicious varieties of Lily's Sweets chocolate bars.

YWCA Boulder County in the News
Our Favorite News Coverage in 2020

YWCA USA Podcast - Organize Your Butterflies
Did you know YWCA USA has a weekly podcast? In each episode, Organize Your Butterflies discusses the ways women, including many of the amazing leaders at YWCA, are working to help women, girls and families.
Organize Your Butterflies is available wherever you subscribe to podcasts, including:
Upcoming Events
YWCA Events
  • Family Tours for Permanent Childcare Enrollment: Family tours will be held every Wednesday, starting March 11, from 10:00-11:00 AM. Call to schedule a tour and begin your enrollment process today: (303) 449-1951. For additional enrollment and tuition info, please email Kate Hise at: khise@ywcaboulder.org.
  • Conference on World Affairs, "Women's Right to Vote: 100 Years Later", Tuesday, April 7, 3:00 - 4:10 PM. YWCA CEO Debbie Pope will moderate a conference panel at the 72nd Annual Conference on World Affairs.
  • Stand Against Racism Week, April 23 - 26, 2020

Community Events
  • Confident Girls of Color, *Rescheduled* Saturday, March 14, 7:00 - 9:00 PM, at Naropa Performing Arts Center. Boulder County middle and high school girls of color are encouraged to join this event to connect with other women of color who are a few steps ahead of them in life. The goal is to provide a supportive space to process, ask questions, build skills, and find sisterhood. The event will include group activities, a panel discussion, and an opportunity to meet lots of new friends. To learn more and to register, please click here.
  • Lifting As We Climb, by Candice Davis, March 5 - March 22 at BMoCA. YWCA Boulder County is pleased to partner with BMoCA in bringing this exhibit to Boulder. Lifting As We Climb is an exhibit to explore the centennial of women's suffrage and the intersection of race and gender. For more information, please visit bmoca.org.
Did you know?
Women's History

The first woman to run for U.S. president was Victoria Woodhull, who campaigned for the office in 1872 under the National Women’s Suffrage Association. While women would not be granted the right to vote by a constitutional amendment for nearly fifty years, there were no laws prohibiting women from running for the chief executive position.

Employment Opportunities
Early Childhood Education Teachers

We have openings for 2 qualified early childhood education teachers for our early childhood learning center, Children’s Alley. We are committed to improving the lives of families by providing quality care for children from 8 weeks to 6 years and need caring, creative, dedicated teachers to help us in our mission. Our full time positions offer competitive pay, generous paid vacation and sick time, over 40 days of paid holidays and recess, affordable group health insurance with over 65% employer paid premiums, a 100% employer paid retirement plan, discounted childcare and continuing education benefits. Must be ECT or Director qualified. These are full time 40 hour per week positions, with some schedule flexibility including Saturday hours if preferable. Come work in a supportive environment with a Colorado Shines 4 rating.

Children’s Alley is growing and will soon be offering both drop-in classrooms and permanent care classrooms for children from 18 to 36 months. Join us as we build a unique program that addresses the community’s needs for affordable, quality childcare for both permanent and temporary needs.

Please send your resume to lisa@ywcabouldercounty.org. No phone calls please.

Thank you Program Funders
Thank you City of Boulder Housing and Human Services Department for your grant funding for Children's Alley!
Thank you City of Boulder Youth Opportunities Program for your grant funding of Latina Achievement Support (LAS).
Thank YOU for your support!

Our work would not be possible without the support of passionate individuals and businesses like you, how support our programs and services.

Contact us to learn more about donating stock or other assets, donating through your employers giving program or becoming an event sponsor.

Volunteers are vital to our mission and our programs and services.

Learn more about all the different ways you can get involved in our work, including volunteering with Reading to End Racism, Children's Alley, Corporate Volunteering and Event Volunteering.
YWCA Boulder County | ywcaboulder.org