Faces of YWRC Archives

            Help us show the girls and young women of our community how truly valued they are. Join our #everygirldeserves campaign to spread the word of just how limitless a girl’s life can be. Here’s how: Step 1: Print this template, write what you think #everygirldeserves in the blank and snap […]

Chris Burch, director of the IMT Des Moines Marathon, has been one of our girls’ biggest cheerleaders over the last several years. Through his support of our Hit the Ground Running program, girls in 6th and 7th grades have been able to explore a variety of physical fitness activities, build self-esteem and accomplish their goal […]

“The entire staff at the YWRC is so proud of Cassie and all of her accomplishments. She has shown that success is truly achieved when you persevere  in the face of obstacles. She is an amazing mother, peer and woman,” said Ashley, YWRC Childbirth and Perinatal Specialist. Cassie first came to the Young Women’s Resource […]

We are thrilled to welcome our newest staff member, Marcia Bradley, to our YWRC team. Marcia started with us on July 8, 2016 as a Mental Health Therapist and specializes in Art Therapy. Marcia’s role is to provide Trauma Informed Care to girls and young women who have experienced primary or secondary interpersonal trauma. She will […]

For our first ‘Spotlight’ feature, we are excited to honor one of our most reliable, engaged and supportive volunteers, Stephanie Pyle. Stephanie has volunteered with us for a little over two years. We have come to rely on her and are so grateful for her dedication to the Young Women’s Resource Center. Each week, Stephanie […]

My name is Claire Mraz, and I am a Prevention Program Specialist at the Young Women’s Resource Center.  I grew up in West Des Moines, Iowa with my mom, dad, and younger brother.  With the exception of a horrible year in Kindergarten, I have always loved going to school, learning, and being surrounded by teachers […]

I started working at the Young Women’s Resource Center in September of 2014. I believed that my job was to share my wisdom. There was a part of me that believed that I had the answer to their problems. Being a woman in my late 40’s and having been a mother for 15 years, I […]

I restarted this blog six different times. Everything seemed cliché and not even something I would want to read again. So, I sat down with a good friend and had a fiery conversation about why I am here, why I am so passionate about young women, and why I need a place that gives me […]

I am Maggie Irvine. Lots of things make up the person I am today, but something I am thankful for is my ability to help others. As a freshman in high school, I joined a club full of phenomenal girls called Sheroes. With time, we were lucky enough to work with the YWRC. We learned […]

I am Kathy Parenza the Volunteer Coordinator at the Young Women’s Resource Center.  I grew up on a farm in North Central Iowa with loving parents, four siblings and many relatives in the area.  As a young girl I enjoyed caring for my younger siblings, many dolls and pets.  I also was kind of a […]