Registration is Open for Circle 2024
Date: Thursday, October 3, 2024
Time: 11:30am-1pm
Location: The Diamond Room at Ceruti's Catering, 6601 Innovation Blvd., Fort Wayne, Indiana 46818
Theme: Breaking Barriers with Confidence, Comforts, and Care
Download our 2024 Circle Sponsorship Proposal
We want to invite you to come together with us as a community for this year’s Circle Event, “Breaking Barriers with Confidence, Comforts, and Care.” Local survivors will bravely tell their stories and reflect on their past, letting others know it is possible to overcome barriers to experience a better day. Alongside the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, we will have other experts address the top barriers preventing someone from escaping domestic violence. A staff member from the YWCA will also share the services that we offer to equip and empower individuals in a domestic violence situation to break barriers. Additionally, those who no longer wish to be bystanders will be provided with ways in which they can provide support to those who deserve a more beautiful day!
Circle 2024
Thursday, October 3, 2024 from 11:30-1pm
If you would like to commit to hosting a table at our 2024 event, please contact Emily McCorkle at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org
Host a Table
Will you host a table at YWCA’s Circle Event? As a Table Host, you would simply invite members of your network to join you at the luncheon, and to help influence support for YWCA.
Last year alone, we served 764 adults with one-on-one domestic violence advocacy, the highest ever in our agency’s history. As a powerful and influential person, we are asking that you and your tribe help make all the difference in raising life-saving dollars for those fleeing from domestic violence.
Table Captains are standouts because they are integral to the success of Circle and have the goal to (literally) bring people to the table who would be willing to learn more about YWCA’s mission and make a financial contribution to support YWCA’s domestic violence services.
To become a Table Host, select one of the Table Host ticket options on the registration page. If you select the option to Table Host – Individual, you will need to send the registration link to your guests and prompt them to put your name when asked “Who invited you?” during the registration process. For all other options, you will be emailed all the tickets you purchased and you can send them directly to your guests via phone or email.
Learn more about hosting a table here.
To use your power of one and host a table, please contact Emily at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org. Each table seats eight and tickets to Circle are $100 a piece. Shared tables can be accommodated as well.
Become a Sustaining Circle Donor
Our clients come to us from domestic violence situations, often fleeing crises inside their homes. When they arrive at our crisis shelter, Bonnie’s House, clients find a circle of support that includes one-on-one advocacy services, onsite therapy, housing coordination, support groups, services for children, and more.
Will you join this circle of support by making your gift as a member of our Sustaining Circle? All Sustaining Circle donors will be recognized at the event if gifts are received by Monday, October 2 and your donation includes registration to this year’s event. Please contact Emily McCorkle, Engagement Coordinator, at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org with your pledge or any questions.
Advocate: $3,000+ Visionary: $1,500 – $2,999 Leader: $1,000 – $1,499 Partner: $500 – $999
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: Pictured: Dottie Davis, Kimberly Koczan (2023 Peggy Hobbs Award Recipients), and Paula Hughes-Schuh (CEO, YWCA Northeast Indiana)
To nominate someone for the 2024 Peggy Hobbs Award, please fill out this form by July 31, 2024.
Showcase your company’s community values with an event sponsorship!
Email Emily at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org if you are interested in sponsoring our 2024 event. View our 2024 Circle Sponsorship Proposal.
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 contact Emily at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org for more information!
Thank you to our 2024 top level Dignity Sponsor:
Circle began 28 years ago 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.
Pictured: 2023 Circle Steering Committee and Event Volunteers
Meet the Panel
Dottie Davis
Founder/Owner, Davis Corporate Training, Inc.
Panel Focus: Emcee
Dottie Davis, BS is a nationally recognized speaker who previously served 32 years with the Fort Wayne Police Department where she attained the rank of Deputy Chief and was last assigned as the Director of Training at their police academy. She implemented and wrote policy for the agency for the Crisis Intervention Team and for the Lethality Assessment Program and served as a hostage negotiator for 7 years. During her career she received two Meritorious Service Citations, named law enforcement officer of the year by the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from the Rocky Mountain Women in Law Enforcement. She is a QPR and C-SSRS trainer dedicated to the prevention and intervention of suicide. She is a contracted trainer for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Fair and Impartial Policing, and the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and others. Davis is a graduate of the National FBI Academy, Gavin de Becker & Associates Advanced Threat Assessment Academy, and Purdue University, and is the owner of Davis Corporate Training, Inc., a private consulting firm focusing on violence prevention, and expert witness testimony in both civil and criminal cases.
Pam Brookshire
Vice President of Community Services, Brightpoint
Panel Focus: Housing Barriers
Pam has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Communications and minors in Psychology and English Literature from DePauw University and a Masters of Public Affairs Degree from Indiana University.
Pam has been employed with Community Action of Northeast Indiana (dba Brightpoint) since 1987. She started her employment as a Community Services Specialist until becoming Brightpoint’s first case manager in 1989. She was assigned to provide case management to a neighborhood in one of the poorest census tracts in Fort Wayne. During this time she became convinced that case management was the only way to effectively eliminate poverty. She moved on to supervise a team of case managers in one of the first collaborative efforts in Fort Wayne titled the Case Management Initiative (CMI). It was here that she co-developed an assessment tool to be used by all members of CMI. From there, other case management programs were implemented including the Community Alliance for Healthy Families and Transitions, a state-wide family self sufficiency project.
Pam has directed the Community Services Division at Brightpoint since 2000 and is responsible for all Brightpoint direct service programs except for Head Start and Early Head Start. She co-authored the Family Development Matrix, an assessment tool and case management system that has been adopted by all CAAs in Indiana and many more organizations across the state.
Pam has provided leadership on many homeless/housing and case management projects, including development of a community-wide Case Coordination System.
Pam serves on multiple state and local boards and comittees. She is a graduate of the National Community Action Management Academy and is a certified Community Development Block Grant Administrator. Pam received the Ernestine M. Raclin Community Leadership Award in 2015.
Pam has three children: Kim, who lives in Longmont, CO with her husband and two daughters, Tom III, who lives in Fort Wayne with his wife, co-owners of Indiana Tea, and Madissen, who is a BSN employed at Parkview Regional NICU.
Michelle Chambers
City Councilwoman At Large, City of Fort Wayne
Panel Focus: Housing Barriers
Michelle Chambers is a dedicated community leader and advocate for Fort Wayne. Elected in 2020 as one of the first African American women to the Fort Wayne City Council, she brings over three decades of public service experience. As Co-Chair of the City Regulations Committee, Michelle leads discussions on key policies impacting the community.
As Councilwoman-at-Large, she is passionate about addressing affordable housing challenges and working towards equitable solutions for all residents. With a master’s degree in Public Administration, she serves as an educator at the AMP LAB FWCS Campus. Her commitment to service is recognized through her role as a National Urban Fellow and a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow.
Michelle is also the proud wife of Dr. Benny Fair Jr., DPM. With a focus on community, professionalism and compassion, she is dedicated to fostering a brighter future for all of Fort Wayne.
Kerry Hyatt Bennett, JD
Chief Legal Counsel, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Panel Focus: Legal Barriers
Kerry Hyatt Bennett, JD has been the Chief Legal Counsel at the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) since 2005, and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis for over a decade, specializing in state and federal domestic violence law. Ms. Bennett is a frequent speaker on the legal issues and challenges that survivors of violence face in the justice system and in society as a whole. Currently, Ms. Bennett is the vice president of the Indiana Health Advocacy Coalition, Indiana’s medical legal collaborative, serves on the Indiana Supreme Court’s Coalition for Court Access, and is on the Diversity Subcommittee of the Indiana State Bar Association. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including the Leadership in Law Award from the Indiana Lawyer, the “Woman of Influence” recognition by the Indianapolis Business Journal, the Access to Justice Award from the Muslim Alliance of Indiana, and the Antoinette Dakin Leach Award from the Women in Law Division of the Indianapolis Bar Association, which recognizes trailblazing women lawyers.
Laura Berry
Executive Director, Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Panel Focus: Stigma Barriers
Laura Berry is the Executive Director of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In her capacity, Ms. Berry oversees and coordinates statewide training, technical assistance prevention and intervention efforts for all domestic violence programs in Indiana, spearheads public policy initiatives by working closely with the Governor’s Office and respective government departments, ensures implementation of and compliance to federal policy and guidelines that govern domestic violence entities, and advocates for survivors’ rights and access to justice. As a nationally recognized expert in domestic violence, Ms. Berry has served in numerous committees, including as a member of the Indiana Supreme Court’s Protective Order E-filing Committee and as a Governor’s Appointee to the Indiana State Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision and the Indiana Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Council. Ms. Berry has also worked closely with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Children and Families (ACF) and the US Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to influence national policies to expand services for survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Berry was recognized in 2023 as one of the Most Influential Women in Indiana and one of the 250 most Influential Leaders in Indiana in 2024.
Jennifer Rohlf
Director of Empowerment, YWCA Northeast Indiana
Panel Focus: YWCA’s Services
Jennifer joined YWCA Northeast Indiana’s team in 2013. As Director of Empowerment, she oversees all domestic violence and sexual violence advocacy services as well as the scholarship program. Before becoming the Director of Empowerment, she served as YWCA’s Community Education Coordinator.
Jennifer graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health Promotion. She is a 2015 New Professional Journey Fellow, a 2016 award recipient of Fort Wayne Business Weekly’s 20 Millennials Making A Difference, and a 2017 graduate of the Foellinger Leadership Lab. She is currently a member of the Mayor’s Commission on Domestic Violence, Rape, and Sexual Harassment, as well as a member of several Domestic Violence Taskforces.
Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter exploring the many family friendly events, parks, and activities around Fort Wayne. She also enjoys completing DIY projects to give her mind a break and get a chance to do more labor intensive activities. She also loves to relax in the evening with a good TV series.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to Expect:
- An inspiring showcase of YWCA’s domestic violence program and impact on todays pressing issues and longtime community needs
- Networking with other supporters, community leaders, and business leaders passionate about taking action to make a difference in our community
- Honor the recipient of our Peggy Hobbs Award
- An exciting Paddle Raiser Auction to fuel our important work to eliminate racism and empower women led by Mitch McKinney
Mitch McKinney will take us through different donation levels and guests will “raise their paddles” to contribute money.
How do I bid in the Paddle Raiser?
Get ready for the fun part of the event! Join our Paddle Raiser auction to donate to YWCA Northeast Indiana and help us reach our fundraising goal for the evening. Your support is what fuels our programs and services, and we could never do what we do without your help!
Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP)
YWCA uses The Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) credits with the goal to increase funds for Sustaining Circle Donations. To fulfill this objective, we will be awarding credits to those who increase their gift over their most recent Sustaining Circle donation. Your increased gift will be instrumental in helping us meet the demand for domestic violence services, and your gift would be eligible for NAP credits on a first come, first serve basis.
Employee Matching
A matching gift program is a kind of corporate philanthropy in which a company’s charitable contribution “matches” that of its employees. Employee donation matching programs often have eligibility rules. They might be open to all employees, but matching gift guidelines may note different requirements or match ratios for part-time employees, retirees, or contractors. To see if your employer utilizes gift matching, check with your Human Resource representative.
Please direct all matching gift inquiries to Emily McCorkle at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org or calling 260.424.4908 ext. 238.
We invite you to dress to feel your best with the suggestion of “smart casual”
attire.
Thank you to our 2024 top level Dignity Sponsor:
See recaps of past Circle events:
