2020-2021 YWCA SHR Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021

Unapologetically YW 1

Letter from our CEO Table of Contents 2

Letter from our CEO

4

At a Glance

6

Looking Forward

7

Racial Justice

8

Norfolk Family Justice Center

9

Emergency Shelter

10

Be the One

11

Financials

H

ello Friends,

I am one blessed woman! Having the privilege to steward an organization with a long history of humanitarian service to women and girls for the advancement of racial and social justice and gender equity is a complete honor. This association has stood the test of time. For over 110 years, your YWCA South Hampton Roads (YWCA SHR) has called Norfolk, Virginia home and for over 40 years we have provided support for sexual assault victims and a home-away-from-home for victims of violence in our emergency shelters.

YWCA SHRs’ journey started in 1906 when two Black women, Mrs. Laura E. Titus and Mrs. Ida W. Bagnall, lead the Ladies’ Auxiliary of YMCA to file for membership to the newly formed National YWCA. The Norfolk Phyllis Wheatley YWCA was officially accepted as a charter member in 1908, thus beginning our rich legacy. YWCA SHR is because they were!

Standing on the shoulders of many leaders who came before us, our association has continued to be a beacon light of help, hope and healing for so many in our community. No matter what has transpired in the world, YWCA SHR is there – still serving and responding to the needs of the least of these.

In Fiscal Year 2020-2021, our challenges increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we were faced with making decisions on how to maintain operational continuity and safety of our teams and those we served. Through it all, YWCA SHR kept on moving.

Our workforce went remote, our expenses went toward hotel stays for clients to keep shelter at half-capacity, hotline calls increased, and we closed our Out-Of-School Time services 20 years after its opening. Supporters like you and the generous donation from Makenzie Scott, have helped us along the way and in these uncertain times.

During this storied time in our nation’s history, as racial injustices continued and social inequities grew, YWCA SHR also refocused itself internally to ensure we walked the walk and talked the talk.

Our teams — Board of Directors and team members — continued

2

to do the work necessary to ensure professional development and personal growth in order to build an antiracist community. We are a much better association because we are what two Black ladies envisioned more than 110 years ago.

Today, YWCA SHR is in the midst of a rapid transformation from a wellestablished direct service provider for women and families facing crisis to an organization working at the intersection of eliminating racism, empowering women and standing up for social justice, helping families and strengthening our community.

I joined the YWCA SHR family at a critical moment in our history. Together we will unite our mission with our vision. We will empower team members, volunteers, and clients to believe they are the difference and change we need. We will move our community through the process of what it means to be antiracist, gender equitable, and socially conscious to address the many disparities plaguing women and people of color, voter suppression, and restorative justice. This work is indeed hard work, but Hampton Roads, we can do this — in fact, we must do this!

Your YWCA SHR understands. We are acknowledging and owning our own our hidden story, and we are here to say “no more!” At YWCA SHR, we are finally living out the fullness of our mission and it feels good and right.

Hampton Roads, we invite you to journey with us. Our impact is our momentum, so we are starting from the ground up and the inside out to continue as a force to be reckoned with — one that is Unapologetically YW. Sincerely,

Board of Directors Stephanie Dickens, Chair Angela D. Reddix, PhD, 1st Vice-Chair Cathy Drewry, 2nd Vice Chair Capt. Shelley Kay-Marriner, USN Ret., Secretary Joanna Brumsey, Treasurer Donna Allen Georjeane L. Blumling, PhD Dr. Kathleen N. Cabler Deborah Y. Collins Giovanna M. Genard Vanessa Jenkins, EdD Lt. Michele Meister Dr. Jeanne Natali Dr. LaQuiche Parrott Amasa Smith Vanessa Stillman Guisela Torres Dr. Ivory Warren

Michelle Ellis Young Chief Executive Officer YWCA South Hampton Roads

3

148

Community Education Presentations

1,648

Community Members Trained

7,149

Volunteer Hours “My experience with YWCA SHR has been wonderful so far!

My teen group and individual sessions have been very helpful!”

-Counseling Client

YWCA at

a glance

A

s the premier social and racial justice organization for the Hampton Roads community, YWCA SHR is committed to the safety and support of victims of violence and people of color. YWCA SHR focuses our mission-driven work on three areas to improve the lives of women and girls: racial justice and civil rights, empowerment and economic advancement, and health and safety. The hallmark programs of YWCA SHR include: EMERGENCY SHELTER & HOUSING SUPPORT Our emergency shelter provides 30 days of refuge to survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families. The Rapid Rehousing Program assists clients in obtaining housing, securing employment, and becoming self-sufficient in their time after shelter.

SUPPORT SERVICES & COUNSELING CENTER With the support of counselors, survivors from ages five and up can utilize free or affordable crisis counseling to learn to access personal power, begin to understand their feelings, and take steps toward healing. Specialized support groups allow survivors to share experiences, feelings, and coping strategies with other survivors.

OUTREACH & EDUCATION 24-HOUR CRISIS RESPONSE HOTLINE Specialized trainings are available for schools, colleges and universities, businesses and corporations, military, and the community at large. Find us at community events and information tables.

Trained crisis intervention specialists are available for calls, texts, and online chat through our 24/7/365 crisis hotline. In FY21, YWCA SHR received 8,202 calls totaling 6,078 hours of service.

RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES At YWCA SHR, we demand a world of equity and human decency. We envision a world of opportunity for all. We will get up and work until injustice is rooted out, until institutions are transformed, until Justice Just Is.

VICTIM ADVOCACY Advocacy, court accompaniment, moral support, protective order assistance information, and referrals are offered to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and stalking with the help of the Norfolk Family Justice Center.

4

5

LOOKING

I

Forward

n the new fiscal year, we are leaning into all that is YWCA SHR to ensure we touch every aspect of our mission. The work we do in this moment, will set the trajectory for where we need to be in the future to brighten the corner where we are! Hampton Roads, get ready for a YWCA SHR that raises your awareness and consciousness of how race and gender impact the issues that impact our communities.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO: Aligning our Mission

• Committment to staffing for racial justice work – Hire a Chief Innovation & Impact Officer • Create equity, strengthen operations, and build succession paths for our team • Reconcile our history in its fullness

Strengthening our Core

• Lean into our role as racial and gender equity owners • Expand Shelter and Housing Services and team members • Grow Counseling, Crisis, and Victim Advocacy services to meet growing community needs

Innovating our Future

Changing our Community

6

• Intensify focus on advocacy for women and girls and marginalized communities • Provide gender based violence programs for boys — AMEND Together — and values-based, trauma informed programming for youth — Camp HOPE • Develop empowerment programming for collegiate and professional young women • Scale the Family Justice Center work to include restorative justice • Create Center for Racial Equity & Social Transformation (R.E.S.T.) – Host Annual Conference on Racial Equity & Social Transformation (R.E.S.T.) • Provide holistic trauma treatments for neighborhoods

Racial Justice at

T

YWCA

he spring 2020 Black Lives Matter movement sparked by the murders of black and brown American citizens—George Floyd, Brianna Taylor, Ahmed Aubrey, Tony Dade, Dion Johnson, Trayvon Martin, and so many more—was just the public start to the work YWCA SHR has worked towards. The YWCA SHR Racial Justice Committee builds racial equity through education within the Hampton Roads community. Volunteers, team members, and board members join together in educating on the issues of race, informing the community on current issues facing the racially marginalized, and celebrating the strengths of diverse cultures to incite a movement for change.

O

ur racial justice work has centered on education and empowerment for community change.

The Hampton Roads community benefited in several ways: Annual Stand Against Racism Campaign Annual 21-Day Racial Equity & Social Justice Challenge Public Health Crisis Town Hall Series Annual Mary Helen Thomas Award Annual Student Essay Contest Scholarship

This is just the start of our work to eliminate racism in our back yard.

7

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text our 24/7/365 hotline at 757-251-0144

The Joining of Forces: NFJC

A

s the only of its kind in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Norfolk Family Justice Center (NFJC) addresses two critical problems our community faces. The first is a lack of co-located services to address the immediate and long-term needs of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The second is a lack of a recognized location to refer/transport victims where trauma-informed professionals are available 24/7 to provide appropriate support services. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the need for comprehensive and centralized wrap-around resources to victims of crime.

Through our public-private partnership with Chesapeake Forensic Specialists, Norfolk Department of Human Services, Norfolk Police Department, Norfolk Sheriff’s Office, and Office of the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, we provided:

67

8

PERK/Medical Accompaniments

1,438

Victim Advocacy Clients Served

8,202

Crisis Hotline Calls

2,287

Individual Counseling Sessions

Protecting Victims of Violence at our EMERGENCY SHELTER

W

hat do you do when your home is unsafe and you’re in fear of your partner? Where do you go when you know that you’ve seen that guy following you from the grocery store on your walk home? The goal of our Emergency Shelter for over 40 years, is to provide an oasis and refuge to Norfolk residents facing domestic and sexual violence. As the only Domestic Violence Shelter in Norfolk, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked tirelessly to keep our doors open and continue providing much-needed services to clients facing hardship. We purchased hotel room nights for clients to keep those in shelter safe and socially distanced. As we roll into the next fiscal year, we are safely opening more shelter rooms to make sure our original goal of purchasing this shelter in 2019 stays true — that no person is turned away based on a lack of capacity.

8,117

Total Bed Nights

312

Emergency Shelter Clients Served

108

Rapid Re-Housing Support Clients Served “I’ve nver had a bit of disapointment under YWCA programs. I’ve always had a positive result and appreciate all of the support and care that has been delivered to me.” - Housing Client

9

Be the ONE

W

e are a non-profit organization committed to empowering individuals. Our intersectional mission to eliminate racism and empower women demands that we show up to advocate against the oppression that many groups and individuals endure.

For YWCA SHR to continue to help and support victims of violence and cause meaningful change for people of color in our community, we need YOUR help. Will you be the one?

Your generous contribution helps fund our current programs, our dreams of a Family Justice Center 2.0, and a new Annual Conference on Racial Equity & Social Transformation. Without loyal friends like you, it would be impossible to make the necessary changes Hampton Road’s needs. We are thankful for all contributions aimed at helping YWCA SHR grow and develop into the powerhouse our community longs for.

BE THE ONE TO: MAKE A ONE-TIME GIFT YWCA SHR is on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women. We’ve been at the forefront of the biggest issues of the day for over 110 years, and with your support, we can continue working to improve the lives of girls and women for years to come. With a one-time gift you can make it possible for a victim of domestic violence to receive a Physical Evidence Recovery Kit (PERK) Exam or contribute to our Racial Justice work. Donate now at bit.ly/YWSHRdonate.

BECOME A RECURRING SUSTAINER Make a continued impact by having monthly donations deducted from your credit or debit card.

Monthly sustainers provide a reliable and steady source of funding that allows YWCA SHR to wage and win long-term campaigns in defense of justice for victims of violence and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Set up your recurring monthly or quarterly gift by visiting bit.ly/YWSHRdonate.

LEAVE A LEGACY OF STRENGTH You can make a lasting commitment to our mission and work when you include YWCA SHR in your estate plans. This is a gift in your will or living trust, known as a charitable bequest. By including a bequest to YWCA of South Hampton Roads in your will or living trust, you are ensuring that we will be here to empower BIPOC and women for generations to come. Contact the Development Department at 757-625-4248 or development@ywca-shr.org for additional information.

10

“YWCA is good people, especially since you all are strangers and you help so many women out there. One day I was crying because I was pregnant and overwhelmed so I called. Y’all helped me so much with that one conversation.” -Victim Advocate Client

Persimmon Circle Persimmon Circle members are loyal and generous friends of YW whose leadership, giving, and deep commitment to the organization set an example, inspire others, and make a significant impact in our mission to eliminate racism and empower women. Learn how to become part of the exclusive Persimmon Circle by contacting 757-625-4248 or development@ywca-shr.org.

2020-2021 Donors

2020-2021

Financials INCOME Grants (Public & Private) Makenzie Scott Gift* PPP Loan Sale of Property United Way Investment Income Annual Giving Program Income Special Events/Other

3%

$2,363,872 $2,000,000 $376,877 $337,745 $274,086 $238,343 $145,669 $119,281 $56,395

*$2M Makenzie Scott Transformational gift not included in income graph for illustrative purposes

TOTAL INCOME

9%

1% 6% 4% 7% 10%

60%

$5,912,266 81%

EXPENSES Victim Services Administration Development Youth Services TOTAL EXPENSES NET INCOME

$2,674,347 $328,672 $171,234 $135,315 $3,309,568 $2,602,698

4% 10% 5%

Donna Allen* Mary Kate Andris Shirley Baldwin Geojeane Blumling Joan Brock Joanna Brumsey/WEC Martha Clowdsley Susan Colpitts Kim Curtis Stephanie Dickens Marianne Dickerson Cathy Drewry Virginia Fogg Giovanna Genard* Cindy Gooch* Christina & Susan Goode Barbara Hamm Lee Shelley Marriner Joseph Massey* Wendy McGrady Sarah Munford* Jeanne Natali Norma Natali* LaQuiche Parrott* Elizabeth Patterson* Ambrose Paull Kristen Pine* Laurel Quarberg* Ann Rathbone Angela Reddix Lauren Schalk* Blythe Scott Ashley Scott Audrey Settle* Narketta Sparkman-Key Deborah Stearns Priscilla Trinder Roady Jerry Warren Deborah Yeng Collins *Indicates a new member

11

“I’m grateful for the assistance you all provided to me and my family through our toughest time.

Everyone’s assistance gave me the strength and confidence to continue moving forward and learn how to stand on my own feet again.”

-Victim Advocacy Client

YWCA IS DEDICATED TO ELIMINATING RACISM, EMPOWERING WOMEN AND PROMOTING PEACE, JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND DIGNITY FOR ALL. 12

YWCA South Hampton Roads 500 Plume St, Ste 700 Norfolk, VA 23510 757-625-4248 Crisis Hotline 757-251-0144 www.ywca-shr.org

Follow us @YWCASHR