Category Archives: Uncategorized

We are pleased to spotlight Bank of America this month for their generous support of the YWRC through the 2022 Neighborhood Champion award. We are honored to receive this award and to be recognized for our work to remove economic barriers and advance economic opportunity for girls and young women in the Greater Des Moines […]

Trigger warning: mentions of domestic, sexual, and dating violence, bullying, suicide, and mental health struggles. The month of October is dedicated to bringing awareness to several important issues YWRC participants and youth in our community face: domestic violence, bullying, and mental health. For this spotlight, we are sharing how our work responds to several challenges […]

Hello, volunteers! I’d like to introduce you to two new YWRC team members. Please help us give a warm welcome to Joyce Levingston and Julia Mason Gray! Joyce is our Senior Program Director and Julia is our Senior Director of Development. You’ll be hearing from Joyce and Julia in the near future for special volunteer […]

This month we’re excited to celebrate an important member of the YWRC community, Ka’Meka Lowery. For more than twenty years, Ka’Meka has supported both children and young adults to have access to education and resources to be successful. She has partnered with the YWRC in various roles throughout the years, her most recent role being […]

This month, we are excited to spotlight one of the newest YWRC staff members, Christine Tucker! Christine joined the team in April of 2021 as part of our Young Moms Program. While she hasn’t been here long, Christine has already made a meaningful impact in the lives of many participants. “I am the Young Moms […]

While the YWRC works to create and fill a new Volunteer Coordinator position, Maria Robinson has generously offered her time and energy to support and manage the YWRC volunteer program during May and June. Learn more about Maria: Maria Robinson is a proud mother and wife who originally hails from Norfolk, VA where the majority […]

Irma, Empowerment Specialist, shares what it’s been like to participate in two of our Summer Program Clubs: Mind + Movement and Mariposa. This spring, the YWRC Empowerment Team moved quickly to adapt our traditional Summer Programs into interest-based virtual clubs so participants could continue to learn, connect and build community. With several weeks of Summer […]

Dear Friends, What a time this has been. What a time. I find myself repeating that phrase often. On one end it is greeted with a breath of air that means, “Finally. Finally we are coming together to speak out against inequality and racial injustice.” However, it is followed by heartache to know that we […]

2019 has been a great year for new beginnings, whether it’s from starting programs or creating new positions. As we wrap up the year, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate these changes. Here are a few examples of how we’ve grown: High School Credit Recovery Program In partnership with the Des Moines Public […]

We are excited to celebrate one of our most dedicated and long-term supporters, Tiffany Strim! Tiffany has been involved with the YWRC for more than 12 years. “I have been connected with YWRC, for over 12 years. Prior to working at Hoover with SUCCESS, I collaborated with them through previous positions in the community that […]