Ryan Elinkowski

“As a child I didn’t completely understand the weight of the words, ‘it’s time to go.’ I just knew that when my mother said them, we went. Bags were already packed and in minutes shoes slipped on without question, the hum of the car engine blending with the hush of the night. Hotel rooms blurred together-countless escapes; countless fresh starts that never quite started fresh.  It started feeling like a routine, something normal, something you certainly did not share with others, so nothing to really compare it to.”

Ryan Elinkowski currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer at Meals on Wheels Northwest Indiana.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree In Human Development and Family Studies from Purdue University Northwest with a specialization in Child and Family Services.

Ryan has spent the last 15 years serving adults, children, and families through his work at Meals on Wheels, St. Jude House, and Boys and Girls Clubs of Northwest IN. As an experienced leader in the social services field, Ryan excels in the areas of operations management, programming, and strategic planning, yet his most admirable leadership traits are those of compassion and genuine relationship building. Ryan spearheaded the creation of a Survivor Advisory Council at St. Jude House, as well as a Mobile Advocacy Initiative, that will provide vital data to support the need for similar programming statewide. He lives happily and humbly in Northwest Indiana with his wife of 14 years, three daughters, and two dogs.

Give online here. 

If you prefer to donate by check, please make your check out to “YWCA Northeast Indiana” with “Circle Donation” on the memo line, and mail it to:

YWCA Northeast Indiana
Attn: Thanh Riehm

1313 W Washington Center Rd

Fort Wayne, IN 46825

Find more ways to give to YWCA here!

The Peggy Hobbs Service Award began in 1977 with the intent to honor a woman of outstanding personal development, achievement, and dedication as a volunteer. YWCA Northeast Indiana continues Peggy’s legacy by presenting the Peggy Hobbs Service Award to a woman who embodies the passion, commitment, and dedication of Peggy Hobbs at YWCA’s annual Circle event. 

Pictured: Angela Zent (2024 Peggy Hobbs Award Recipient), and Paula Hughes-Schuh (CEO, YWCA Northeast Indiana)

Showcase your company’s community values with an event sponsorship! 

Learn more about becoming a corporate sponsor by viewing our 2025 Sponsorship Packet.

Sponsors are not required to fill any or all of the seats at their table(s). YWCA is happy to help sponsor their table(s) and will work with sponsors ahead of the event to ensure table seats are able to be filled. Please send us an email for more information! 

Thank you to our 2024 top level Dignity Sponsors:

Circle began with a group of women who had an idea to raise funds for YWCA’s domestic violence shelter. They wanted 100 women to come together and each donate $100 in support of YWCA’s domestic violence services. At that time in the late 90s, few believed that women had the financial capital to come together and put on a successful fundraising event. The doubters were proved wrong: Circle was immensely successful and continued on as a women-only fundraising event for at least a decade. In the mid-2000s, men were invited to join Circle for the first time. 

The goal of Circle has always been and continues to be to provide a circle of financial support for individuals and their children experiencing domestic violence in northeast Indiana. Circle raises both awareness and funds for YWCA’s life changing domestic violence services.