COVID-19 Response and Updates

MOST RECENT OFFICE AND PROGRAM UPDATE:

Message from 5.16.2022:

The YWRC utilizes Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and local data to inform decisions regarding Covid-19 precautions. As of May 16, 2022, Polk County is considered a “low transmission” area. Therefore, masks and/or face coverings over the mouth and nose are no longer required of participants, guests, volunteers, and staff of the YWRC. We will continue to frequently sanitize surfaces before and after groups, and provide face masks for those who choose to wear them.

Participants, guests, volunteers, and staff who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or are not feeling well should not come to the YWRC. If a participant arrives with symptoms or knowledge of being ill, staff will arrange for them to be taken home as soon as possible. (We will continue to offer to drop-off supplies to participants as needed.) In all cases, participants must be without a fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications before joining an in-person event, group, or session.

Those who have tested positive for or been exposed to COVID-19 will be required to follow these guidelines (click here for a larger view):

We will continue to monitor updates from the Center for Disease Control, as well as local health entities, to determine safety protocols. Thank you for cooperating with us over these last two years as we worked to ensure the safety and wellbeing of participants, staff, volunteers, and community members.

Questions? Contact us at 515.244.4901 or [email protected]. If you have questions about COVID-19, the Iowa Department of Public Health has established a 24/7 hotline that can be reached by calling 2-1-1.

Thank you for your patience and support while we navigate these changes. Take care of yourselves and reach out if you need help. An ongoing list of resources can be found here.

RESOURCES

We have created a Resource page in response to COVID-19/Coronavirus. This page includes information about where to find support throughout our community, tips for coping through challenging times, and a whole lot of activities and ideas for safely passing the time. Visit the Resources Page.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are grateful for the many folks who’ve asked how they can help our girls and young women during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Here are three ways you can safely help us continue our critical work: (click each for more details)

Provide Critical Need Items.
Mail in grocery or gas gift cards.
Make a Donation

ALL OFFICE AND PROGRAM UPDATES:

Message from 5.16.2022:

Those who have tested positive for or been exposed to COVID-19 will be required to follow these guidelines (click here for a larger view):

Thank you for your patience and support while we navigate these changes. Take care of yourselves and reach out if you need help. An ongoing list of resources can be found here.

Message from 7.19.2021:

The Young Women’s Resource Center has begun to host in-person groups and community members with COVID-specific safety precautions in place. These precautions include increased sanitizing of frequently used surfaces (especially before and after groups), individually packaged snacks, breaks for participants to wash hands, smaller group sizes, distancing of participant seats, limited van capacity, and face mask/covering requirements.

Anyone visiting the YWRC is required to wear a face mask upon entry. To help maintain a limited amount of folks in our building, please make an appointment ahead of time if you would like to have a meeting or visit the YWRC.

We will continue to monitor updates from the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization to ensure the safety and wellbeing of participants, staff, volunteers, and community members.

Thank you for your patience and support. Take care of yourselves and reach out if you need help. An ongoing list of resources can be found here.

Message from 11.3.2020:

The Young Women’s Resource Center will continue to remain closed to the public and will be offering a very limited amount of in-person groups based on need (these groups will consist of no more than five participants and will follow strict safety guidelines). We are continuing virtual programming for Empowerment and Young Moms groups, as well as for counseling. Our staff continue to provide individual support to participants as needed. We are unsure of our re-open date at this time, but will update our community as soon as it is determined. Thank you for your continued patience.

Thank you for your patience and support. Take care of yourselves and reach out if you need help. An ongoing list of resources can be found here. Remember, this is temporary. Our office may be closed, but we are committed to being here for our participants and community.

Message from 5.5.20:

The Young Women’s Resource Center will continue to remain closed and in-person groups are still cancelled in accordance with state guidelines. Virtual programming has begun for Empowerment, Young Moms and Counseling services. Our staff continue to provide individual support to participants as needed. We are unsure of our re-open date at this time, but will update our community as soon as it is determined.

Thank you for your patience and support. Take care of yourselves and reach out if you need help. An ongoing list of resources can be found here.

Message from 4.2.20:

The Young Women’s Resource Center will remain closed through April 30 in accordance with guidelines from the Governor, and to ensure we are taking necessary precautions for the safety and well-being of our community. We will continue to provide individual support for our participants and seek new ways to deliver programming during this time.

Message from 3.16.2020:

The Young Women’s Resource Center (YWRC) acknowledges that many within our community are feeling vulnerable and concerned in regards to COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease). The well-being of our participants, staff and volunteers is of the upmost importance to the YWRC. We are paying close attention to national and local health agencies to ensure we follow necessary precautions to maintain a healthy environment for our participants, staff, volunteers and community.

We stand firmly behind our responsibility to create the healthiest environment possible and to protect our community from further harm. With this in mind, as well as careful consideration of recent announcements from local, state and national agencies, the YWRC has determined the following:

The YWRC office will be closed for four weeks and all groups/programs for this duration have been cancelled (Monday, March 16 through Monday, April 13). While our office is closed, our staff remains committed to providing critical resources and support, and will be coordinating these efforts directly with participants to ensure the upmost safety precautions are observed. Staff will also continue to work remotely during this time.

These cancellations include the Empowerment Workshops originally scheduled for March 18 and 19. In lieu of hosting these workshops, we will be providing take-home DIY kits to those who had registered. Our staff will be in contact with caregivers to arrange this distribution of these kits. Strict hygiene and social distancing guidelines will be in place during the time of kit pick up.

Participants in need of individual support or resources (such as diapers, food, personal care items) are encouraged to reach out to their facilitators. Counseling during our closure will be offered via phone or video chat as set up by our providers.

We will NOT be receiving any in-kind donations during the time of closure. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we believe we can utilize our current supply for the next coming weeks.

The YWRC Gala has been rescheduled from Saturday, April 18 to Saturday, June 27. More information regarding this decision and the Gala can be found at ywrc.org/gala.

While these decisions are difficult, we know it is what must be done to make the best out of this situation.

Four weeks is a long time to be without programs and our community. To try to help ease this, we will be keeping an up-to-date resource guide available on our website. This will include information about where to find support throughout the community, tips for coping through challenging times, and a whole lot of activities and ideas for safely passing the time. (A new page to host this information has been made; scroll to the top of this page and click on ‘Resources’.)

Have resources, information or activities to share? Send them over to Erin via email.

Lastly, we are asking our community to join us in being positive role models for our youth. Stigma and fear surrounding COVID-19 have already had a negative impact. Several participants recently shared instances of facing overt racism and xenophobia. Please be aware of how you are communicating about COVID-19 and utilize the YWRC’s core values of equity, community and advocacy to inform conversations. By leading with these values, we can support those feeling marginalized, decrease stigma and lessen fear.