YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts

MassHealth 101 Training to be held at the Dartmouth Council on Aging (628 Dartmouth Street , Dartmouth MA) this Thursday, July 11th at 10am.

BCCC Member Matt Dansereau has announced he is conducting an in-person training on MassHealth for all ages at the Dartmouth Council on Aging this Thursday morning. This session is designed for anyone, clients or staff, who want to learn a bit more about MassHealth.

It will include:
What MassHealth is
How one qualifies for MassHealth
What happens to MassHealth when one turns 65
Whether someone would need MassHealth
Information about the Medicare Savings Program

This training is free, but please pre-register! Anyone who wants to pre-register can email Matt Dansereau, directly at [email protected]

We are closed tomorrow, July 4th. Enjoy your holiday!

Do you know a woman deserving of recognition? Consider nominating her for the 2024 Women of Distinction Awards!

Nominees for this award are women who:
- Strongly support and promote the YWCA Mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.
- Demonstrate strong and growing commitment to the community through her time as a volunteer.
- Demonstrate exceptional skills as a role model and/or mentor of women and girls through advocacy, racial justice, empowerment, community service and leadership.
- Have achieved professional excellence in her field.

Nominate here: forms.gle/bBEuLmrKjq1Zmpzr5

A very big thank you to Bristol County Savings Bank for awarding us with a $10,000 grant for our residential services program! The housing market has been more difficult than ever these past few years, but thanks in part to the generosity of local businesses like this, we're able to keep our 3 residential locations up and running and serving our community!

On this day in 1969, a police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in NYC, sparked riots that became a turning point for LGBTQ rights. Stonewall wasn't the first, but it ignited a movement for equality that continues today. To learn more about Stonewall and the history leading up to it, check the link in bio!

We're gearing up for our rally tomorrow and will be handing out flyers with information on the state of reproductive rights and how you can take action.

There's a lot of information here so visit bit.ly/4bDdXMl for an accessible, downloadable version
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Big thanks to Southcoast Health for hosting a drive and donating $1,300 worth of menstrual hygiene products!! Donations like this help us continue our work ensuring that no one has to miss work or school or risk health complications due to lack of access to hygiene products.

continues as we honor Kim Coco Iwamoto, a Hawaiian politician. Her election as a trans woman in 2006 made her, at that time, the highest ranking openly transgender elected official in the U.S. & the first openly transgender official to win statewide office in Hawaii.

Only one week left to snag a reusable bag while supporting us! Every Give Back bag sold at 15 State Road in Dartmouth gives us a $1 donation. Check grocery shopping off your to-do list and make a difference where it counts - locally!

Are your signs ready yet? The reproductive rights rally is happening next Saturday!
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Contact [email protected] with questions!

Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim a Nigerian film producer, screenwriter, and filmmaker who create stories of Nigeria's marginalized LGBTQ+ communities, who has worked to give voice to Nigeria's LGBTQ+ community through her film production company, Hashtag Media House.

We will be closed June 18th and 19th!

The YWKids’ After School and Summer Program has been a beacon of light for children in grades K-5, thanks in part to help from people like you, and we're seeking your support again to help us give our kids a life changing summer!

When not engaging with a diverse and exciting curriculum, students can play on the new basketball court, receive mental health support services, and enjoy breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Kids have the opportunity to learn about their community, history, environmentalism, and themselves by visiting places like The New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford Art Museum, Zeiterion Performing Arts, Harbor Tours and Whale Watching, Roger Williams Zoo, Newport Mansions, Tree Top Adventures, Frederick Douglass House, and many others!

This program provides students with the first steps to eliminate racism, empower themselves, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. You can be a part of helping these kids achieve excellence in their educational and personal goals–a brighter future awaits them.

You can donate by going to ywcasema.org/donate-online/ or by mailing a donation to 20 South Sixth St, New Bedford, MA 02717. Be sure to indicate it's for YWKids! A gift of any size is greatly appreciated and helps us provide our kids with enriching, fun activities!

What does your donation support?

*A donation of $25 will provide the cost of a ticket to museum or zoo for one child
*A donation of $50 will provide one week of science and technology activities for one child
*A donation of $100 will provide materials for a group project or workshop
*A donation of $250 will provide a classroom with age appropriate books
*A donation of $375 will provide transportation to a local field trip for all participants

The children and us thank you for your generosity and support!
Media Description: images of YWKids on field trips with text over them reading Help YWKids have a great summer!

It's ! Tammy Baldwin was the first openly gay person to be elected to both chambers of Congress and has served as the junior Senator from Wisconsin since 2013. Baldwin has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, access to healthcare, and student debt relief.

We're back for Day Two of the YWCA USA conference in Atlanta! Today's learning labs will give us the chance to refine our capabilities, learn more about trends and data in the nonprofit industry, and hear from distinguished speakers from all around the country!

What a fantastic day at the YWCA USA Leadership and Capacity Building Institute! From engaging sessions to networking with inspiring individuals, it's been a jam-packed Day 1!

Checking in from the YWCA USA conference! Gail Fortes, Executive Director, is joined by Kendyll Ramos, Board Treasurer, and Corday Silva, Board Assistant Treasurer. This year's theme is Mission Forward: Empowering Movement Leaders. Over the next few days, Gail, Kendyll, and Corday will attend workshops, connect with leaders from other YWs, and hear from an incredible line-up of speakers including YWCA USA CEO, Margaret Mitchell!

We're now accepting applications for our fall Board Leadership Program!

This is a FREE one day workshop open to all who have never served on a board and are interested to learn more!

Enrollment focused on diverse communities: BIPOC, LGBTQ+, under 30, disabled/neurodivergent, etc. who have not yet served on a Board of Directors.

Includes a panel of nonprofit, public and private sector experts in the field that will give real life experiences about serving on a board.

It will be a one-day session from 8:30 am - 4:30 PM on October 26th at the YWCA (20 South Sixth St, New Bedford).

Visit bit.ly/3WTS3jT to apply!

Contact [email protected] or 508(999)3255 with questions!

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Media Description: YWCA Board Leadership Program flyer

Upcoming workshop presented by the Massachusetts Teacher's Association for anyone interested in learning more about Robert's Rules of Order, a style of decision making used by many institutions, including city councils, school committees, and many boards.

Workshop will take place on June 21st from 6-8pm at Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council (560 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, MA)

Make sure to register at Bit.ly/RROO2024

Send questions to [email protected]

Media Description: flyer for Taking Control: An Intro to Robert's Rules of Order workshop

Presented by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, in partnership with ELECT SouthCoast, this free workshop will introduce Robert's Rules of Order, the style most institutions use for decision-making. City councils, school committees, and many boards use them. Learn how to influence the process in your favor and not let the rules get in the way of your vision of progress.
This workshop will empower you to:

articulate your points clearly and concisely within the rules
manage discussions
make motions that lead to action
lead votes
facilitate more efficient, transparent, and productive meetings
Dinner and refreshments will be served!

There's still time to enroll for the summer at YWKids. Kids enjoy a diverse curriculum including art, physical education, STEAM, literature, & more, breakfast and lunch, and field trips! Located at 20 South Sixth Street in New Bedford

Contact Andrea at 508-525-7961 or [email protected] to learn more or enroll today!

All June long, for every Give Back bag sold at 15 State Road in Dartmouth, we'll receive a $1 donation. But what do we do with that $1? We put it towards our programs for housing, heart health, menstrual hygiene access, child care and summer enrichment, distributing food through our partnership with Round the Bend Farm, and so much more! We love a fundraiser that's good for the environment and good for our community!

Media Description: Shaw's reusable grocery bag over starry background for Give Back Where It Counts Reusable Bag Program. Text reads this bag is pure magic

Although we often think of Stonewall as the beginning of the gay rights movements, several activists were working towards equality long before. Self-described gay rights “fanatics” and life partners Barbara Gittings and Kay “Tobin” Lahusen helped supercharge the nascent movement in the 1960s and brought their creativity, passion, determination, and good humor to the gay liberation 1970s, leaving behind an inspiring legacy of dramatic change.

Learn more about them and other LGBTQ legends! https://makinggayhistory.org/podcast/episode-01-09/
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Media Description: pride month promo image featuring Barbara Gittings & Kay Lahusen

We're hiring! We're looking for Group Leaders and Assistant Group Leaders for our YWKids program. Come find out why the YW is such a great place to work! For more information and to apply visit ywcasema.org/employment

Happy Pride! Our advocacy coordinator, Leimary, helped kick the month off last Saturday at Fall River Pride!

Does your child want to learn more about babysitting? Or maybe even start their own babysitting business?

The YWCA is hosting a workshop on June 19 from 9:30-3:30PM at our office (located at 20 South Sixth St in New Bedford). This workshop will give youth (ages 11-15 years old) the knowledge and confidence to care for infants, toddlers, and school age children and start their own babysitting business.

Please RSVP by June 14th at Bit.ly/YWCABabysitting

contact [email protected] or call 5089993255 withs questions

We've extended the deadline to RSVP! Please join us and the Women's Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts for a networking potluck! Bit.ly/WAPotluck to RSVP!

Have your RSVP'd yet? There's still time, don't miss out! RSVP by June 1st bit.ly/WAPotluck

Haunani-Kay Trask was a Native Hawaiian activist, educator, author, poet, and a leader of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. She pushed tirelessly for the recognition of Hawaii’s Indigenous people by founding Ka Lahui Hawaii, an organization that promotes self-determination for Native Hawaiians. This , we celebrate and share the greatness of her work.

On June 29th at 11am, join the Women's Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts at the Hastings Keith Federal Building in New Bedford for a reproductive rights rally in honor of the 2nd anniversary of the overturn of Roe V Wade.

Contact [email protected] with questions!

Vote for us!

UPDATE: Gift of Giving Week 4 nominations are now closed. We will be randomly choosing the winners, announcing them on Facebook and contacting them shortly. Thank you to everyone who participated!

***Please be cautious of scammers impersonating FCFCU, this is our only contest & way to submit nominations. Winners will be contacted directly via email or phone and then announced on Facebook on Thursday. DO NOT believe any fake FCFCU accounts that reply on your comment with a link to click on. ***

It's Wednesday and the FINAL is here! Vote for your favorite local non-profit by clicking the Survey Monkey link here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/giftofgivingweek4

Based on your nomination, we will randomly choose FIVE local non-profit organizations to donate $5,000 each to this week. Plus- we’ll give you a $50 digital Visa gift card if your nomination is chosen. You have until 8 AM tomorrow (Thursday) to place your votes.