ANNUAL REPORT | FISCAL YEAR 2019-20 1 YWCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Rita P. Mitchell, Chair Charles K. Grant Sunny Spyridon Amanda Weeks-Geveden, Chair-Elect Janie Greenwood Harris DarKenya W. Waller Sharon K. Roberson, President & CEO Sean Henry Jeffrey Webster Rick Holton Evette White Gail Alexander Rita Johnson-Mills Cynthia Whitefield-Story Caroline Bradshaw Candice Lee Kate Wood Rebekah Carroll Carla Lovell Monica Cintado-Scokin Wanda Lyle Incoming Board Members, 2020-21 Kendra Deas Jamie McPherson* Sallie Bailey Beth DeBauche* Osei Mevs Louise Brock Cindy Dempsey Anne Morgan Ashlee Davis Jamie Dunham Tracey H. Pearson Rodney Francis Katharin Dyer Rusty Powell Beverly Keel Rashed Fakhruddin Lisa Quigley Rick Martin Lisa Ferrelli Abby Rubenfeld D. Billye Sanders David Fischette Tara Scarlett Amy F. Smartt Beth Fortune Amber Sims Glenn Funk* Javier Solano *Denotes member who rolled off the board at the end of FY20 JUNIOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMMITTEE Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Emmanual LeGrair, President Lauren Lange* Incoming Junior Board Members, 2020-21 Angela Wynn, President-elect Racheal Lee Tasia Atanda Samantha Stewart , Vice President Marci Le vy Sade Davis Jacqui Logan, Secretar y India Mayer* Kameron Dawson Sher yl Reid Doiminique Kendra Delaney Josie Barnes Shanks* Roneisha Chelsea Givens Michelle Brown* Simpson Amber Maddie Hirschfield Kristin Clarkson* Alexander Solano Kathleen (Dixon) Jaquish Amanda Clelland LaNelle Stowe Ashudee Kirk Kathleen Dixon* Jena Thomas* Miranda McDonald Derika Featherston Blair Peters Molly Hale y* *Denotes member who Kasturi Sahasrabuddhe Carlos Holmes rolled off the committee at Chanta Wilder Spencer Lambert the end of FY20 Charity Williams FULCRUM SOCIETY MEMBERS The Fulcrum Society is a group of women whose annual financial contributions total $5,000 or more. Nancy Abbott Beth Fortune Susan Simons Gail Alexander Pam Griffith Jeanette Smith Sue Atkinson Claire Gulmi Kathryn W. Smith Grace Awh Vicki Holton Sunny Spyridon Jan Babiak Donna HySmith* Kristin Taylor Sallie Bailey Wanda Lyle Britnie Turner Melinda Balser Rhonda Marko Debbie Turner Ann Bumstead Katherine McElroy Mimi Vaughn Kali Cain Jamie McPherson Leigh Walton Beth Chase Pat Meadows Nicky Weaver Cile Cowan Janet Miller Amanda Weeks-Geveden Cindy Dempsey Rita Mitchell Mary Wester Sherry Deutschmann Anne Morgan Cynthia Whitfield-Story Kathy Dyer Britton Nielsen Gail C. Williams Laurie Eskind Hannah Paramore Breen Jerry B. Williams Tiffany Eubanks-Saunders Celeste Reed Christie Wilson Sarah Ann Ezzell Sharon K. Roberson Sara Finley Jen Robinson *Deceased 2 A LETTER FROM SHARON K. ROBERSON President & CEO Dear Friends, At YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, we take our responsibility seriously to the community. For 122 years, we have provided a safety net for women and children like no other. Throughout our history, we have advocated for our community’s vulnerable members, staying true to our mission of eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. It’s an understatement to say that 2020 has tested all of us. We entered this fiscal year with excitement and energy, ready to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. In January, we selected a meaningful theme for our longtime Academy for Women of Achievement program--She Persisted. Little did we know that this theme would apply to our work fighting the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and domestic violence. Thanks to your support, YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee has persisted. We have fought during this pandemic to ensure that women and children are safe when they were not safer at home. Closing the doors of the Weaver Domestic Violence Center or suspending its operation was NEVER an option. With your help, we have made sure that all of our programs have continued to operate in these more dangerous times. This has taken nothing less than the will of our entire community to make sure that we have the resources necessary to make these miracles happen. At the onset of the pandemic, when we needed it the most, the community made sure we secured much-needed personal protective equipment for staff at the Weaver Domestic Violence Center. Our generous donors stepped up during the Virtual Spring Breakfast to donate brand new computers for our children’s program, as well as much-needed monetary donations that are traditionally raised during this annual event. Our amazing board members and community friends showered our staff and clients at the Weaver Center with warm meals to keep their spirits high during the most difficult first few months of the pandemic. Since early March, I have been blessed to lead this organization from a small counseling office at our Weaver Center. I’ve witnessed the children in our care blossom, and their moms heal from emotional and physical wounds inflicted by their abusers. Our staff at the Weaver Center and throughout our community programs have worked tirelessly throughout this time. I am so incredibly proud of their dedication and commitment to the work. We thank you for making sure we can continue this essential work. Thank you for making sure that young girls can continue to feel strong, smart, and bold with Girls Inc. Thank you for making sure that young men understand what it means to be a healthy man and respect women and girls with our AMEND Together program. Thank you for making sure women in our community can get the support they need to jumpstart their careers with our Dress for Success program and women’s professional group. And thank you for making sure the gift of education is available for any willing student with our Family Learning Center. During these turbulent times, you are making sure YWCA continues to provide a safe space for community conversations to heal the division that threatens to derail our positive community momentum. Last year, I invited you to be by our side as new challenges arise. You accepted. I extend that invitation again today and hope you will continue to be by our side in years to come. The women, children, and families we serve need your support, and we are truly grateful for it. Sincerely, Sharon K. Roberson President & CEO 3 YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee is grateful to our donors for supporting our mission during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are proud of our team members for continuing the work during these challenging times. YWCA was able to pivot and provide uninterrupted service to victims of domestic abuse at the Weaver Domestic Violence Center as well as bring our community-based programs online. THANK YOU to everyone who stands with us every day as we work to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. 4 WHAT WE DO YWCA programs serve the needs of women, children, and families living in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. We provide the tools needed to be safe, independent, and successful in work and life while promoting dignity and equality for all. At our heart, we are a social justice agency. We do this work. Our services are trauma-informed. In addition to providing a place of safety and healing for adults and children who are victims of domestic violence, we invest directly in the lives of girls and boys to prevent gender violence and promote peace and tolerance. Our programs and services are provided free of charge and include comprehensive domestic violence services, Re-New, Girls Inc., AMEND Together, Dress for Success, and the Family Learning Center. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES SOCIAL JUSTICE & ADVOCACY Weaver Domestic Violence Center 24-hour Crisis & Support Helpline | Textline YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Re-New at the YWCA Girls Inc. at YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee Children and Adult Counseling AMEND Together Support Groups TOOLS FOR SUCCESS Transitional Housing Dress for Success Community Education Career Services Family Learning Center 5 Domestic Violence Services YWCA helps break the cycle of domestic violence by offering a continuum of services, including the 24-hour Crisis & Support Helpline and Textline, the 65-bed Weaver Domestic Violence Center, case management, adult and children’s counseling, shelter and community based support groups, community education, transitional housing, and Re-New at the YWCA. 19,303 Re-New was founded in 2010 to help women who are leaving the Weaver nights of safety at the Weaver Center jumpstart their lives. The volunteer-run program furnishes and Domestic Violence Center decorates the homes of survivors leaving the shelter. No detail is missed by the Re-New angels. Re-new has impacted countless lives since its founding. 4,269 calls for help answered by the 24-Hour Crisis & Support Helpline I stand proudly for the cause because the cause was me. They gave me a lot of hope when I didn’t think there were any doors left. They helped me get my children in school and provided counseling for them and me. They helped with applying for jobs and a career coach was there. They helped with a safe place to stay, clothing, 545 adults and children served at the everything we needed was there at the Weaver Center. I’m so Weaver Domestic Violence Center thankful for them. - Autumn, Weaver Center Client 6 It is a new beginning! Oh wow, I love it here! Oh, this is so me! I can’t even speak right now. This is exactly what I wanted! Oh my God, this is crazy! I was wondering about the baby room. This is how I always pictured having a baby room. Please tell them, thank you! - Sarah, Re-New Recipient Last year, YWCA served 544 adults and children at our shelter and answered more than 4,200 calls to the crisis line. YWCA implemented a crisis text line in the spring of 2020, the only emergency DV text line in Tennessee.