Table Hosts are integral to the success of Circle and have helped us raise thousands of dollars over the years for our domestic violence services. In this key role, you will invite people from your circle who would be interested in or benefit from learning more about YWCA’s mission. As a host, you’re instrumental in expanding our community of financial supporters, directly enabling YWCA to make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.
Please use these links for all the information you need to equip you to be Table Host at the 29th Annual Circle Event or contact our Engagement Coordinator, Emily McCorkle at emccorkle@ywcanein.org for more information.
▢ Brainstorm friends, colleagues, and other network connections that might be interested in sitting at your table at Circle.
▢ Register for Circle as a Table Host by selecting your ticket option (if you opt to purchase an individual ticket, please email Emily McCorkle about your interest in hosting a table)
▢ Periodically follow up with attendees to make sure they have completed registration, if you did not pay for guests at your table. YWCA staff will assist in updating you on which of your attendees have registered
▢ Attend the event! Try and arrive right at 11:00 or a few minutes before to welcome your attendees and help them find your table. Answer questions at the event and encourage them to participate in the donation portion of the program
▢ Thank your attendees! Be sure to send a thank you to everyone who sat at your table
If an attendee prefers to pay their registration fee with a check, they should contact Emily McCorkle at emccorkle@ywcanein.org or 260.424.4908 ext. 238.
Online registration instructions
- Navigate to the registration page at: onecau.se/circle2025
- Select “Get Tickets”
- If you select “Individual”, please contact Emily McCorkle with your list of attendees to ensure they are all seated at your table. If you select “Half Table” or “Full Table”, you will be sent all of your tickets.
- Send the tickets to your invitees by entering their email at the time of registration. You can also collect their information from them and fill it in during your registration (please be sure to ask for their meal selection)
- Click “Submit”! Registration confirmation will be generated via email.
For any registration questions, please refer attendees to contact Emily McCorkle at emccorkle@ywcanein.org or 260.424.4908 ext.238
- Date: Thursday, October 30
- Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Location: Mirro Center for Innovation
Registration is $100 and will be completed online. Registration fee includes lunch and parking at the event.
Why should you come to Circle?
Circle is YWCA Northeast Indiana’s annual fundraising event, raising over $184,000 annually for victims and survivors of domestic violence. The 29th annual fundraiser will include a themed luncheon and production, networking opportunities, and an opportunity to learn more about YWCA Northeast Indiana’s life saving services.
Donations made at the Circle event support YWCA’s domestic violence services, which includes 24/7 shelter, 24/7 crisis line, residential and community-based advocacy services, on-site therapy, housing coordination, and more for victims and survivors of domestic violence and their families.
Matching Gifts Instructions
Many companies offer to match employee donations to local organizations. If an attendee would like to submit a matching gift, they will have the option to give their contact information on the donation page.
For attendees donating via check or donation card, they can write “company match” in the memo line and YWCA staff will contact them.
Please direct all matching gift inquiries to Emily McCorkle at emccorkle@ywcanein.org.
Hello [Attendee Name],
I am hosting a table at YWCA Northeast Indiana’s 29th Annual Circle event in October, and I’d love to have you attend as my guest!
Circle is YWCA’s signature fundraising event that will take place October 30, 2025, at the Mirro Center, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. This year’s theme “Reflecting Back to Move Forward” will help us learn more about the effects of domestic violence through the lens of individuals that grew up in homes where abuse took place. These survivors will share how they broke the vicious cycle of violence by reflecting on the patterns of behaviors they witnessed during their upbringing.
Registration is $100 and includes parking and lunch on the day of the event. Please visit http://ywcanein.org/circle/ to register and join my circle of support for people experiencing domestic violence. If you aren’t able to make it to Circle, you can still donate by visiting the same webpage.
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
[Name]
Pre-Event
- Fill the remaining seven seats at your table to the best of your ability by inviting friends and colleagues and people from your network
- Encourage and remind your attendees to register
At the Event
- Check in with YWCA staff and find your table
- Greet your attendees and help them get settled at your table
- Talk with your attendees about the program, YWCA, Circle, etc. and answer any questions they may have
- There will be a specific time in the program for making donations; Table Hosts will assist their attendees in the process of making donations, either online or by writing checks, when needed
- Table Hosts can assist in collecting donations from attendees to give to designated YWCA staff members
Post-Event
- Thank your attendees for coming and financially supporting YWCA
- YWCA will send thank you notes with “no goods or services” language that can be used as donation receipts for taxes
What does YWCA do?
YWCA offers several different programs that benefit women, children, and families in northeast Indiana. YWCA’s crisis shelter for victims and survivors of domestic violence accepts any individual and their children dealing with a situation of domestic violence. In addition to shelter, YWCA provides advocacy services for shelter residents and individuals in the community dealing with domestic violence who might not need shelter. Clients living in the shelter can meet with YWCA’s housing coordinator and YWCA staff operate a 24/7 crisis line for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. YWCA also provides free therapy to those experiencing domestic violence and any in the community affected by sexual assault.
YWCA’s other programs include Hope & Harriet, a residential addiction recovery program for women and their children; Community Educators who teach about healthy relationships and internet safety in schools as well as educate the community about domestic violence; and Sexual Violence Services that provide help and support to those who have been impacted by different forms of sexual violence.
How does YWCA help victims and survivors of domestic violence?
Individuals experiencing domestic violence usually connect with YWCA by calling the crisis line. When someone indicates they would like to enter the shelter or start receiving services in the community, they are paired with a YWCA Advocate. 100% of clients complete safety planning with their Advocate as part of their intake process. Advocates also provide education about the dynamics of domestic violence to new clients. An Advocate will work with a client for as long as the client wants services. Advocates help connect clients to community resources, including the legal system, medical care, school system for children, stable housing, etc.
For residential clients, the shelter is staffed 24/7 with Crisis Service Assistants who help meet daily needs for shelter residents. YWCA has a dedicated Nutrition Coordinator who prepares meals and teaches classes on healthy cooking as well as a Housing Coordinator who works with residential clients on creating an after-shelter housing plan. YWCA also has a Children’s Coordinator on staff who works with children that accompany their parent into the shelter, ensuring they can continue school and helping them process their own trauma.
How did Circle get started?
Circle began 29 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.
How long has YWCA been around?
YWCA Northeast Indiana started as the YWCA of Fort Wayne in 1894. In 2009, the name changed to YWCA Northeast Indiana to reflect our service area of Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wells, and Whitley counties. The crisis shelter was founded in 1976 and remains the oldest and largest shelter dedicated specifically to victims and survivors of domestic violence in the state of Indiana.
YWCA has had exponential growth in recent years. In 2015, YWCA merged operations with Hope House, a residential addiction recovery program, which started YWCA’s addiction recovery services. In 2018, YWCA took on operations of the Women’s Bureau programs after the Women’s Bureau dissolved, which included Transitions (another addiction recovery program for women), Dress for Success, and sexual assault counseling. Transitions was renamed Harriet House and the two programs, Hope & Harriet, make up YWCA’s addiction recovery services. In 2020, YWCA purchased the old Don Hall’s Guesthouse that became their new home in May 2024.
Where are YWCA’s services located at?
YWCA Northeast Indiana is currently located in The Hefner Center at 1313 W Washington Center Road.
Does someone have to live in Fort Wayne to utilize YWCA’s services?
No! YWCA’s domestic violence services cover all of Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Noble, Wells, and Whitley counties. Advocates serving community-based clients travel to the communities clients are located in and all clients are welcome to stay in the shelter if necessary.
How can I refer someone to YWCA for help?
Someone needing help with domestic violence or sexual assault can call our crisis line at 800.441.4073 or email the advocate coordinators at advocatecoords@ywcanein.org. Someone needing help with addiction can call YWCA’s main line at 260.424.4908 or email intake@ywcanein.org.
How many survivors of domestic violence did YWCA serve in 2024?
- 307 adults and 286 children sheltered at Bonnie’s House
- 650 adults living at Bonnie’s House or in the community received advocacy services through YWCA Advocates
- 91 individuals received our therapy services.
- 90 adult and child survivors of sexual violence received one-on-one advocacy services
- 2,244 calls to the domestic violence and sexual assault hotline
- 4,199 individuals participated in adult and youth education sessions about domestic violence, diversity, and healthy relationships
- 14,967 bed nights of shelter care provided across YWCA’s residential programs
What are other ways I can help YWCA Northeast Indiana?
- Volunteer: If you are interested in lending a hand, please visit our get involved section on our website or email Emily at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org to learn more about opportunities to serve!
- In-Kind Needs Donations: We are always in need of basic items to provide to our clients who are experiencing crisis. To see a list of needs visit the In-Kind Needs list under the Get Involved tab on our website. To coordinate a donation drive, please call 260.424.4908 ext. 238 or email Emily at emccorkle@ywcaerew.org