YWCA

Press release:

The opportunity to enjoy it all at The YES! Cafe with Genesee Community College Fashion students, ARC Culinary Arts folks, upbeat tunes and your own coworkers, friends and family!

So spread the word -- "In Tune With Fashion" is happening from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 at YWCA, 301 North St., Batavia.

Meal includes veggie or meat panini, salad, sweet and russett potato wedges, lemon cake, beverage. Cost is $10.

For more information or to reserve your seat by April 5th call (585) 343-5808.

A Community Harvest Supper will be held under tents on the lawn of the Batavia YWCA from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

The event celebrates local agriculture and our community. It will include face-painting, pumpkin painting and live entertainment.

The autumn supper will include beef and vegetable stews, stuffing, potatoes, breads, mac 'n' cheese, and desserts.

Cost is $6 per person, or $20 for a group of four. Reservations are required and the deadline is Friday, Oct. 5.

The YWCA of Genesee County will offer free workshops this autumn beginning Tuesday, Sept. 18. Say YES to the Y(WCA) E(mpowerment) (S)eries).

If you're a fan of Greek-style yogurt, like throwing great parties, want well-behaved dogs and have healthy teeth, then you won't want to miss out!

Each workshop will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the Y, located at 301 North St. in Batavia.

Sept. 18

Learn how to make yogurt with Trystan Sandvoss of First Light Farm & Creamery. There will be materials available for purchase o that you can start making your own tangy, Greek-style yogurt right away!

Sept. 25

Get some tips on how to make your dog behave during walks, with company, and in your home. Trainer Thomas Purcell will offer demonstrations and he invites participants to bring their dogs (must have a copy of rabies certificate).

Oct. 2

Enchanted Florist owner Kathleen Anna-Gonzalez will offer ways to decorate and plan for a fabulous party, whether for a birthday, wedding, Christmas or any other occasion.

Oct. 9

Dental expert Ellie Phillips will talk about the familiar and not-so-well-known ways to keep your teeth and gums in excellent health.

Plus, there are other exciting topics coming up, including how to organize your clutter, transition from one career to another, and map out a solid plan for New Year's wellness.

Advanced registration is appreciated. For more information, go to

www.ywcagenesee.org/empowerment-series/

or call 343-5808.

Press release:

The YWCA of Genesee County and Porter Farms are partnering to bring locally grown certified-organic produce to the community.

Anyone can buy a membership through the YWCA for the Community-Supported Agriculture Community Outreach Program. The cost is $330 per membership, and the cost and the produce can be split among families. The cost amounts to less than $1.60 per pound of produce.

Members receive 22 weeks of fresh, organic produce through the growing season. Produce distribution begins in late June and runs through the end of November.

The pick-up site is the YWCA building at 301 North St. in the City of Batavia from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

For every 15 new memberships signed up through the YWCA, Porter Farms will donate one membership to a family in need.

For more information or to sign up, call the YWCA at 343-5808 or provide your name and phone number to the Y via email at <YWCA_of_Genesee_County_Inc@mail.vresp.com>

The YWCA of Genesee County, Inc. will hold its first Wheels and Heels event from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 14 at the Genesee County Airport. This is a fundraiser to assist the YWCA in developing new programs that serve the innocent, forgotten victims of domestic violence -- the children.

The YWCA is still seeking food, beverage, and service vendors to provide samples and sell products; any individual or business that would like to display a unique or luxury vehicle on the airport grounds is also encouraged to register.

Additionally, clothing stores or individuals with special attire may lend or donate an outfit which will be casually modeled throughout the evening.

These new programs will serve as an opportunity for the YWCA to uphold its mission through service to the youngest members of our community. To participate in Wheels and Heels, please contact Anita Strollo at the YWCA at 343-5808.

An event on "extreme couponing" with local "master couponer" Michelle Kelsey will be held this Thursday, Feb. 2, at the YWCA in the City of Batavia. The location is 301 North St.

The free event will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and feature a how-to demonstration, and "cash-and-carry" deals and coupons. There will be a Chinese auction, free refreshments and free child care.

"Come learn the dollar$ and cent$ of couponing."

This is sponsored by GROW YWCA (Giving Real Opportunities to Women). For questions, call Jeanne at 343-5808.

Press Release:

The YWCA of Genesee County, Inc. celebrated a community Domestic Violence Awareness event on Tuesday evening at their facility at 301 North Street in Batavia.  They served a Spaghetti dinner to over 150 people.  To honor the Victims of Domestic Violence the YWCA staff had a special candle lighting ceremony outside their facility, they lined the driveway and walkways with  60 candles.  Each candle represented 4 new victims of Domestic Violence that were seen in our office in 2010.  That represents 240 victims!   Volunteers  helped to prepare and serve the dinner, and in thanks for their assistance were given  Domestic Violence T-shirts and a meal.    

The YWCA works to assist victims of Domestic Violence through awareness, advocacy and resource referral efforts.  For more information, please contact the YWCA of Gensee County, Inc. at 585.343.5808.

The YWCA of Genesee County, Inc., is seeking applications for its ninth session of Power UP!  This is a workforce initiative is designed to provide women with the skills and tools they need to advance in their career or seek the job they want.

The Fall session begins Saturday, Sept. 17. To find out more and to sign up, contact the YWCA, located at 301 North St. in Batavia. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Phone is 343-5808.

Abbey Grinham was a participant last year. At the age of 69 and having sought employment for two years to no avail, she decided that it was time to make a change. The Power UP program was her solution.

By working with her mentor, Sherry Szemplenski, and other professional advisors on the team, Abbey changed her life. She recreated her resume, changed her appearance from head to toe,  improved her computer skills, learned how to manage her money and, overall, felt so much better about herself upon completing the program.

“I loved going every week, the professional presenters were great, and I learned so much," Grinham said. "I learned about the YWCA and was introduced to more people in the community.  Power UP motivated me to move forward. It gave me the confidence to seek and find a job in Batavia. I love the program!"

Peaceful Genesee -- formerly the Coalition for Nonviolence (see April 29 article)  -- is sponsoring "Restoring Dignity: Skill Building for Transforming Conflict," an all-day event that is free and open to the public, on Monday, Sept. 27.

It runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the YWCA, at 301 North St. in Batavia.

The theme of the event is Restorative Justice, which focuses on the needs of victims, perpetrators and the community as a whole rather than simply on punitive measures. The program will offer people an overview of Restorative Justice, demonstrations in recent initiatives, videos, role plays, discussion of humane conflict resolution, and more.

Refreshments and coffee will be served, and participants will have an hour for lunch. Pre-registration is not required.

For more details, contact William Privett at wprivett.paxchristi@gmail.com.