YWCA Northeast Kansas

It's that time of year already! Check out these school supply events hosted by Community Action, Inc.

Kids Quest enrollment opens Monday! Stop by our main office beginning Monday, July 22, to pick up an application packet. You will also be able to download a copy to print at home from our website at www.ywcaneks.org/kids-quest.

Things you'll need to enroll:
✔️Completed Application
✔️Registration fee and first week of tuition paid
✔️Supplemental health and nutrition forms

Staff will be available to process applications and fees Monday-Friday from 8:30am-4:00pm.

Finally! Here's the last installment of today's exciting announcements. Five phenomenal leaders have been nominated for the 2024 Women of Excellence Awards in the category of Nonprofit Organizations. Scroll through to view and congratulate our honorees! Share, comment, tag away!

You can help us celebrate them at the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards on September 14. Purchase your tickets today: WOE2024.givesmart.com

Here it is! Round three of today's announcement is all about women leaders in the public sector. These four women were nominated because of their commitment to their work and ability to inspire others. Scroll through to view and congratulate our honorees, and stay tuned for the final announcement, coming soon!

You can help us celebrate these honorees at the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards on September 14. Purchase your tickets today: WOE2024.givesmart.com

Time for round two! Here are seven women leading the way at their small businesses and in our community. (You guessed it - round three will be coming shortly!)

You can help us celebrate these honorees at the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards on September 14. Purchase your tickets today: WOE2024.givesmart.com

Announcing! Eight leaders from large businesses in Topeka have been nominated for the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards. Scroll through to view and congratulate our honorees, and stay tuned for more special announcements later today!

You can help us celebrate the honorees at their big event on September 14. Purchase your tickets today: WOE2024.givesmart.com

(Share, comment, and tag away!)

Announcing the 2024 Employer of Excellence!

Envista Federal Credit Union has been serving the Topeka community for over 65 years. Envista's commitment to their mission is evident through their work in the community and employee development initiatives. You've probably seen their logo around town on everything from softball tournaments to school fundraisers to Habitat build sites. At YWCA Northeast Kansas, we are fortunate to have partnered with Envista over the years in our work to serve families and survivors.

Some other reasons we 🧡 this year's Employer of Excellence: Over 65 percent of Envista employees are women, and 80 percent of leadership positions are held by women!

You can help us celebrate this year's awardees at the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards on September 14! Purchase your tickets today: WOE2024.givesmart.com

📣 Special Announcement Alert!

We're kicking off a very exciting 24 hours, and you won't want to miss a single post. The 2024 Women of Excellence Planning Committee spent that past week surprising 25 women (and one business!) nominated for this year's awards, and we can't wait to announce them all to you!

First up - the 2024 YWCA Empowered Leader. This is an award given to a YWCA team member who exemplifies our mission through their role. Linda Aziz stepped into her current role as Director of Finance at the beginning of this year. As you can imagine, being the finance person at a large nonprofit is quite a task, but Linda quickly became a steadying force that not only keeps the lights on but also keeps the focus on our shared vision. She understands that every dollar donated, every grant report submitted, and every program supply purchased is a lifeline to the survivors, families, and women who rely on the crucial services provided by YWCA Northeast Kansas.

We could write so much more about Linda in this post, but we think you'll enjoy hearing more in person at the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards on September 14. Get your tickets at WOE2024.givesmart.com.

And stay tuned for more special announcements tomorrow!

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

YWCA holds meet and greet for new CEO, Cheri Faunce The YWCA introduced their new CEO to the community Thursday.

At YWCA, we’re deeply invested in ensuring that everyone who can participate in the hard-won right to vote has the opportunity to make their voice heard. for voting rights!

In Kansas, the deadline to register for the Aug 6 primary election is NEXT Tuesday, July 16! Check your registration and see what's on your ballot at vote411.org.

Fact: Black women earners STILL make just 66 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men.

Today is . Closing the is about more than a paycheck. It's about future earnings potential, affording childcare and healthcare, access to higher education and mortgages, and protections against workplace harassment. You can take action today to close the gap by urging Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act: https://p2a.co/liUq6uO

It's time for .

: Supporting survivors doesn't stop at the crucial work that CSE Advocates do every day to connect clients with resources, safety, and hope. YWCA Northeast Kansas is committed to strategic partnerships that work toward ending human trafficking and building a safer community for all of us. Thank you to the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, Rotary Club of Community Action Against Human Trafficking, Topeka Shawnee County anti-Human Trafficking Coalition, and our other partner organizations.

Shawnee Co. DA's Human Trafficking Task Force begins work Shawnee Co. DA Mike Kagay talked about the new human trafficking task force, as well as the first class completing the Veteran's Drug Court program.

We're just over two months away from one of our favorite days of the year - the Women of Excellence Awards and Gala! Tickets are available now, so mark your calendars for Saturday, September 14, and get ready for another evening full of celebration, inspiration, and women's empowerment!

All the details, including ticket sales and sponsorship info, are at WOE2024.givesmart.com.

Note: Nominations are closed! Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations. We're so excited about this year's class of honorees. Stay tuned for the announcement soon!

YWCA Northeast Kansas offices and programs will be closed on Thursday for the July 4th holiday.

If you need immediate assistance from the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment, you can still call our 24/7 hotline at 888-822-2983.

never ends, and neither does our work to build a more equitable, just, and compassionate world. We cannot hope to or without uplifting, protecting, and honoring our LGBTQ+ neighbors.

YWCA Northeast Kansas is constantly working to improve our programs and advocacy rooted in justice and equity. We're excited to offer expanded text-to-chat capabilities for people experiencing gender-based violence who are unable to call or are uncomfortable talking on the phone for any reason. You can text "YWCANEKS" plus your message to 847-411 or use the text-to-chat function on our website. The line is monitored M/W/F from 1pm-5pm.

Learn more on our blog: https://www.ywcaneks.org/blog-collection/tech-that-empowers

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Today marks the anniversary of the . We're marking this day with gratitude for trans women of color like Marsha P. Johnson who galvanized the movement for trans and q***r racial justice: "No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us."

If you or someone you know is in need of support, you are not alone. The YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment provides FREE and CONFIDENTIAL services for sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and intimate partner violence. Call our 24/7 hotline, or pass the number along to someone you know: 888-822-2983.

Nominations close July 8! This annual event not only supports the crucial services and programs at YWCA Northeast Kansas, but honors the work of women who are doing the work to build up our community. Uplift a leader in your business or organization by nominating them for the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards.

All the details are at WOE2024.givesmart.com.

Special thanks to Cassandra J Rendon and the Topeka maurices team! Through their trade-in event, they recently donated several bags full of jeans and bras to benefit the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment. We appreciate all you do to and give back to Topeka!

Don't miss out! Registration closes soon for the 2024 Leadership Momentum course, and there are only a few spots left. Get all the details at www.ywcaneks.org/leadership.

Were you at the Topeka Pride Palooza on Saturday? We had a blast talking with so many of you, and we couldn’t be more proud of the community that showed up for !

YWCA Northeast Kansas stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community in the fight for equal rights. To all of our LGBTQIA+ community members and victim-survivors: we see you, we respect you, and we believe you deserve to live and love with dignity, free from violence. Our services are available to ALL, and our 24/7 hotline remains available at (888) 822-2983. You can also text “YWCANEKS” and your message to 847-411.

Happy Juneteenth from YWCA Northeast Kansas! Today is a time to honor Black resilience, celebrate Black joy, and recommit ourselves to the ongoing fight for racial justice.

If you're looking for ways to learn about and uplift the Black community in Topeka, be sure to check these out:

Topeka Family and Friends Juneteenth Celebration
For The Culture KS
Black American Blueprint Collective Topeka
Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park
Black MentoUrs
Topeka Chapter of The Links, Inc.

Tag others in the comments!

YWCA programs and services will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, in celebration of Juneteenth Freedom Day. If you are in need of immediate assistance from the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment, you can still reach an Advocate on the 24/7 hotline: 888-822-2983.

YWCA is to build an equitable, inclusive world where everyone is empowered to thrive. Peace, justice, freedom, dignity and for all.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍💗💙🤎🖤

All YWCA services and programs are available to people of all genders, including the Center for Safety and Empowerment. We know that LGBTQ+ individuals are at higher risk of experiencing intimate partner and gender-based violence. If you or someone you know needs support, CSE Advocates are here for you. Call the free and confidential 24/7 hotline at 888-822-2983 or text "YWCANEKS" plus your message to 847-411.

Check out www.ywcaneks.org/elc for enrollment information! The YWCA Early Learning Center provides quality care in downtown Topeka for children age 1 and walking through pre-kindergarten.

Members of the YWCA Northeast Kansas team spent a dynamic few days painting Atlanta persimmon with YWCA USA and our sister orgs at the Leadership and Capacity Building Institute 🧡

We can't wait to hear about their experience and what they learned! Can you spot CEO Cheri Faunce, Director of Community Engagement Alicia VanWalleghem, and CSE Public Education Coordinator Rachel Grollmes in any of these? (Bonus points for spotting a past member of the YWCANEKS team!)

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Today is Day 🌈

Gender justice is LGBTQ+ justice. It's more important than ever to remain committed to providing inclusive services and advocating for true equality. Let's start with . .

Learn more from national partners like Family Values at Work and Equal Pay Today, A Project of Equal Rights Advocates.

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Whether it's a leader who inspires, a woman living out her mission, or someone whose commitment to the community deserves recognition - you can submit a nomination for the 36th Annual Women of Excellence Awards! Find the form at WOE2024.givesmart.com.

Submissions are due July 8!

Due to inclement weather, YWCA Northeast Kansas offices and programs will be closed on Tuesday, January 9th. The Early Learning Center, Kids Quest program, and in-person services at the Center for Safety and Empowerment will all be CLOSED.

As always, the 24/7 hotline for the Center for Safety and Empowerment will remain open: 1-888-822-2983.

🎒 Enrolling now! The YWCA Early Learning Center has spots in the preschool and pre-kindergarten classrooms. Give us a call today: 785-235-1750.

You can read more about the ELC at www.ywcaneks.org/elc.

The Topeka Twilight Lions Branch knows how to brighten our day! Thank you for this generous and thoughtful donation of go-bags and winter gear for the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment Day Center 🧡