Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Perhaps strength doesn’t reside in having never been broken, but in the courage required to grow strong in the broken places.”  (Unknown) Resiliency is the ability to recover or bounce back from challenging situations. When faced with adversity, a resilient person has the confidence and courage to overcome that hardship and, “grow strong in the […]

This blog’s purpose is to share raw, unfiltered language used by clients to describe their lives and experiences at the Young Women’s Resource Center. I asked girls a variety of questions, and I quickly typed all of their answers as they spouted them out. It is important to note that it is impossible to capture […]

My name is Amy Tiefenthaler, and I am the therapist at the Young Women’s Resource Center. I am a mother to two beautiful little girls who are always on my mind and provide me with more joy than I could ever put into words.  I have a husband of 7 years who reminds me frequently through his […]

I am Katie McCune, a Prevention Program Specialist at the Young Women’s Resource Center. I grew up right here in the Des Moines area with my parents and five siblings. I enjoy many activities such as yoga, Zumba, hula hooping and going to concerts. However, some of my favorite things are long hugs, big smiles, […]

When I was eighteen, I got pregnant with my daughter. While I was still with her dad until she reached 6 months, he was on drugs and completely unsupportive. I started attending the Young Women’s Resource Center’s Young Moms group at my high school then transitioned to the programs offered on-site after graduating.  I participated […]

My first question to young girls when educating them on their reproductive health is – why do you think we talk about this? I usually get a variety of answers, but typically they answer by telling me that they already know everything. It is clear through our pre-survey (which is filled out in our initial […]

“Puberty is the name for the time when your body begins to develop and change as you move from kid to adult. We’re talking about stuff like girls developing breasts and boys starting to look more like men. During puberty, your body will grow faster than at any other time in your life, except for […]

I am Emily Fichter, a Prevention Program Specialist at the Young Women’s Resource Center. I grew up on a farm in Shenandoah, Iowa with my mom, dad, and two older brothers. Like many young girls I wanted to be an astronaut. Living on a farm you can look up at the sky and see forever. […]

This is me: My name is Shelbie Hill, and my official title is the Office Manager/HR Coordinator of the Young Women’s Resource Center. My unofficial title is “whatever I need to be that day” as I am fortunate to get to wear many different hats here at the YWRC. I have worked at the YWRC now […]

My name is Keith Karpinske. I have been a member of the YWRC Board for the last 2.5 years, and I work for Wells Fargo. More importantly, I have been married for 18+ years, and we have two wonderful sons – age 13 and 17. I currently live in Polk City but have lived in […]