“Don’t you just love New Year’s? You get to start all over. Everybody gets a second chance.” This is a line from one of my favorite movies, Forrest Gump. New Year’s has become synonymous with hope. Maybe we hope to lose ten pounds, or we hope to try something new. Many people may hope for a better life. For the individuals we serve, they hope for a life free from addiction, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. Our team of rock stars work tirelessly to help them achieve their goals.
So, just how many lives did WE help in 2021? I emphasize the word “we” because it takes all of us. It takes the team here at YWCA Northeast Indiana, but also our volunteers, donors, and supporters.
WE helped:
- 339 adults and 234 children staying in our domestic violence crisis shelter, Bonnie’s House. WE provided 14,761 nights of care.
- 612 adults receive advocacy services from our domestic violence and sexual abuse advocates
- 171 survivors of domestic violence attend 930 therapy sessions cumulatively
- 3,050 individuals who called our domestic violence and sexual assault 24/7 crisis hotline
- 91 women and 18 children who enrolled in our Hope & Harriet addiction recovery services program, with 36 graduates in 2021
- WE provided 10,745 nights of care to our Hope & Harriet recovery services residents
- 125 women with professional apparel, employment assistance, and financial education classes through our Dress for Success program
- 3,384 individuals through our adult and youth education sessions focused on domestic violence, diversity, and healthy relationships
In this month’s edition, we are sharing information about our Hope & Harriet addiction recovery program. Recovering from the disease of addiction, also clinically referred to as Substance Use Disorder, is not an easy task to accomplish. Dr. Carolyn Warner-Greer provides information to correct much of the stigma associated with substance use disorder in our new initiative, Dash of Persimmon.
We are excited to launch our new women’s empowerment campaign featuring Commissioner Rich Beck, Kyle Metzger, Dr. Kim Barnett-Johnson, and Anna Belote in this month’s newsletter. Who else from our community stands with YWCA Northeast Indiana in solidarity for women’s empowerment? Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, and read our monthly newsletters to find out! This awareness campaign will run throughout 2022. We thank all of our participants – you know who you are.
Please join us in a couple of celebrations! We celebrate our Power of Persimmon leaders Amy DiNovo Hathaway and Angie Zelt, owners of LetterPerfect Services. These POP stars are our grant writing partners but are more than a just business partners to us. They are like family! Please read about their servant hearts. XOXO
And, we celebrate Carla, Nunu, and Charlie for their years of service. These remarkable individuals help to make hope happen here at YWCA Northeast Indiana, and we are grateful they chose to be a part of the team! Happy Anniversary! #PersimmonPride
If you are wanting to get involved, we are highlighting a couple of opportunities below. First, you won’t want to miss our Diversity Dialogue scheduled for February 10th. Register for free today! Also, we have included a link to our Amazon Wish List if you would like to help donate some needed items. Lastly, if you want to volunteer, or serve on a committee or our Board, please click here to get the process started.
We thank ALL of you for helping to make 2021 a successful year, making it possible to provide all of these services to thousands of individuals throughout our community. Let’s ring in the New Year together so that everyone “gets a second chance.”
Addiction Recovery Program
Our Hope & Harriet addiction recovery program served 91 women and 18 children in 2021. All 91 adults participated in the residential component of our program, five of which continued on to receive outpatient case management services after graduating from the residential program. Nine program participants went on to participate in our monthly dinner program for alumni, receiving continued support for living in recovery.
Thirty-six women successfully graduated the program during 2021. Of the patients that maintained abstinence for 60+ days, 77% of those patients maintained that abstinence for another six months. 70% of patients participated in family therapy with non-substance using family members at least once a month, and 75% of patients who completed at least one quarter of services showed a decrease in severity of substance use disorder symptoms.
Staying at least 90 days in programs like Hope & Harriet increases the likelihood of recovery and program effectiveness. Of the patients who stayed 90+ days, 100% implemented at least three relapse prevention strategies. In 2021, 97% of patients who stayed 90+ days obtained a sponsor and became an active member in a 12-step group compared to 69% of patients overall in 2021.
From our dedicated services for children and families, 70% of mothers reported an increase in parenting competence and 100% of children aged 3+ learned age-appropriate stress reduction strategies.
In our outpatient and alumni services, 78% of alumni attending the monthly dinners indicated an increased sense of connectedness and social support, and 89% of outpatient patients indicated an increase in support and connection to appropriate services relevant to their individual needs.
Finally, one of the most significant, positive, and measurable differences made by our Hope & Harriet program is in our program name — giving people hope. 100% of patients in 2021 reported an increase or maintained feelings of hopefulness, purposefulness, or wellbeing from their initial survey to their six month survey.
Our Hope & Harriet addiction recovery program served the following counties in 2021: Allen, DeKalb, Noble, Huntington, Wells, Dearborn, Rush, Boone, Henry, Adams, Parke, Fulton, Howard, Porter, Lake, Kosciusko, Marion, Blackford, LaPorte, Vigo, Wayne, and Grant.
In this year-long awareness campaign, local men and woman join together in solidarity to tell stories of how they help empower women. Stay up to date with our weekly featured community members here and learn more about YWCA Northeast Indiana here.
Richard Beck, Kyle Metzger, Dr. Kim Barnett-Johnson, & Anna Belote
“Supporting women’s equality begins at home. I have a wife, a sister, a daughter, a deceased mother, a step daughter, a daughter-in-law, a step daughter-in-law, nine granddaughters, and numerous female cousins. Additionally, I was a single parent for 10 years, which opened my eyes to the plight of single mothers. To me, supporting women’s equality means providing opportunity for women in the community in which I live and serve.”
–Rich Beck (Commissioner, Allen County)
“It’s easy to see equality for women as a systemic issue. While true, this can subconsciously absolve each of us – men especially – from changing our day to day activities, thoughts, decisions, and priorities. To change a society, we first have to start by changing ourselves. I strive each day to find ways to amplify the voices of women, which often includes quieting my own voice and making space for others. When we each do our best to lift up and celebrate one another, we can start to make progress as a society.”
–Kyle Metzger (President and CEO, United Way of Huntington County)
“I straighten crowns by living and speaking my truth and encouraging others to do so as well!”
–Dr. Kim Barnett-Johnson (Chancellor, Ivy Tech – Fort Wayne and Warsaw); Featured Leader in YWCA Northeast Indiana’s Empowering Leaders Video Series (2021)
“I am a mother to five beautiful daughters and also have four amazing sisters, so building women up and helping them see and appreciate their value and worth is something for which I have great passion. It is something that we as a society don’t do often enough. Being involved in the YWCA Circle Event and advocating for women who are trying to make better lives for themselves and their families has been so important to me. We never know the role we play in other women’s lives and the power our words and actions have in supporting them. My hope is that other women see the incredible benefits of doing this and continue to empower each other.”
–Anna Belote (Director of Safety, Parkview Health)
Dash of Persimmon offers you expert information on a variety of topics every month. We hope you will find this information valuable. May a Dash of Persimmon sweeten your cup!
Dr. Carolyn Warner-Greer
In our first Dash of Persimmon Video Series, we are featuring Dr. Carolyn Warner-Greer, Medical Director of Bowen Recovery Center and a physician in Bowen’s medical offices. Dr. Warner-Greer speaks on the stigma associated with substance use disorder.
Learn more about Carolyn here.
Thank you to Dr. Carolyn Warner-Greer for being our featured Dash of Persimmon expert!
YWCA Northeast Indiana’s Power of Persimmon (POP) initiative honors empowered women who diligently seek to help empower other women through mentorship, networking, and education. Kudos to these remarkable women!
Amy DiNovo Hathaway and Angie Zelt are co-owners of LetterPerfect Services, established in 1995. At LetterPerfect Services, they believe that it is through acts of service that lives are changed for the better. They seek to mentor women through casual opportunities in the personal and professional world, always being very intentional with time spent with women of all ages. “When you walk alongside someone, you are sharing and supporting their personal journey rather than walking ahead of them and leading them through your journey.” Learn more about Amy and Angie here.
Stay tuned to upcoming newsletters to see who will be featured next in Power of Persimmon! Thank you to our media partner, glo magazine.
YWCA Northeast Indiana Staff Anniversaries
What is Persimmon Pride? Persimmon is the orange Pantone color of our YWCA brand. Internally, #PersimmonPride is more than a hashtag or mantra. It is a belief in the impact the YWCA team is having in our community. It’s more than a saying. It is who we are and what we believe in.
“I choose to work at YWCA because our mission is my mission, and I love being able to work together with our amazing colleagues to help make life better in our community.” -Carla (Director of Opportunity Services)
“I enjoy working for this organization because YWCA focuses on individual empowerment and aiding the community. During my time here, I’ve only noticed positive insights about the staff members. Staff are down to earth and it’s a healthy environment that everyone can feel safe in.” -Nunu (Advocate)
“Working for YWCA gives me the opportunity to finish my working career by helping get the new home repurposed and ready to serve the future needs of women in the community.” -Charlie (Facilities Manager)
The passion from our staff, in addition to the unending support from our community, is what makes our work possible. Thank you to our staff and the northeast Indiana community for your support!
Diversity Dialogues are back!
YWCA Northeast Indiana celebrates a community that embraces the inherent dignity of all people. To encourage awareness and acceptance of diversity, YWCA Northeast Indiana’s Level Up Council hosts Diversity Dialogues, where we bring in panelists and guest speakers to help lead the community in compelling conversation on interesting topics important to our community. We do our best to always ensure a variety of perspectives and topics that provoke deep thought.
In February, for Black History Month, YWCA Northeast Indiana will convene a panel of organizations that have worked towards racial justice and equity locally to discuss what has been done, and what needs to be done, and how people can engage. Join us for a panel discussion, Q&A time, and suggestions for action steps we can all take. Register here.
The goal of the Goldstein Family Scholarship Program is to help female survivors of domestic violence improve their self-sufficiency and quality of life by completing higher education. The scholarship fund provides financial support for tuition, books, rent, utilities, and childcare. Learn more here.
Donate
We have recently updated our Amazon Wish List with current needs, including needs for clients and operations needs. Your purchases can be sent directly to our location.
If you would like to financially support YWCA Northeast Indiana, you can access our donation page by following this link.