With the support of our donors, we remain dedicated, in good times and difficult times.
Staying Connected
Beyond the work we do at YW is how we do it; and COVID disrupted how we interact on a daily basis. Some YW employees show up at physical buildings each day and don Personal Protection Equipment while others work from our homes, delivering programs and strategically addressing the business of YW through Teams and Zoom.
2,000+
CALLS FROM WOMEN IN NEED
Some things did not change – our crisis line at Sheriff King Home continued to operate and received over 2,000 calls from women seeking safe options.
Using Our Voices
We also showed up in the community differently this year – mostly virtually. But we were bold when we spoke out against the barriers women, children and gender-diverse individuals face – including at our first virtual event for International Day of the Girl, with special guest Julie Van Rosendaal and Dr. Raechelle Paperny. We create and utilize strength in multiple voices. We advocate every day to help women and girls thrive.
Empowering Voices
In 2020, the protracted economic downturn coupled with the pandemic pushed women even further out of the workforce – a phenomena dubbed the She-cession.
Recognizing this, our support of a ‘She-recovery’ became thematic in several YW events. One such event harnessed the power of many through a collaboration with the YWCAs of Alberta to host the How We Rise speaker panel in January 2021.
Creating Great Momentum
To keep the ‘She-covery’ momentum going, and build on our growing experience in hosting virtual events, we closed out our year with the 10th annual YWHISPER Gala, hosting nearly 400 people from across the world on a virtual platform. Another pivotal partnership for YW Calgary brought a four-person panel to the event with The Walrus ‘Talkers’ sharing various perspectives of the she-cession/she-recovery.
