Students learn about healthy dating relationships

A few weeks ago, Jackson Simpkins and Rebecca Ward stood before a classroom full of 9th -12th grade students at Sissonville High School. They asked the students to put all reservations aside and have an open and honest discussion about dating relationships. After introducing the subject by asking their audience how they liked to be treated on dates (to which one girl's response was "Like a princess!"), Jackson and Rebecca presented them with more challenging questions. How do you not want to be treated on a date? What types of behaviors are unacceptable from a dating partner? What makes a relationship healthy versus unhealthy? What is the definition of "abuse?" What are different types of abuse? Why don't people just leave if their partner is abusive? What should you do if you or someone you know is in an unsafe relationship?

Jackson and Rebecca are the YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program's Teen Dating Violence Prevention Specialists. They present these workshops in middle and high schools across the region numerous times each month as a way to reach out to tweens and teens about healthy dating relationships. Though interactive discussions, role play, stories and "what if" questions, they engage students to discuss the tough issue of teen dating violence. They even discuss how to keep yourself safe in an era of new technologies and confront gender stereotypes.

These workshops are so important in light of the recent high-profile domestic violence incident, in which R&B singer Chris Brown was charged with two felonies alleging he punched, bit, and choked his singer/star girlfriend Rihanna until she almost became unconscious. These young stars serve as role models to our young generations, so these conversations are critical.

Through funding from Verizon, the YWCA of Charleston has built a teen dating curriculum that is serving as a model for domestic violence programs statewide. The booklet our specialists distribute to each and every student they meet addresses national and statewide domestic violence statistics, myths vs. facts about dating violence, and warning signs of unhealthy relationships. Download the booklet today and share it with the tweens and teens in your life.

If you would like for Jackson and Rebecca to facilitate a workshop at your school, church, or community organization, please call (304) 342-6552.

Breakfast with Champions

Each year, the YWCA Women of Achievement honorees are interviewed, photographed and lauded for their many accomplishments. It’s a whirlwind tour that culminates in one of the honorees’ most important functions: to attend the annual YWCA Women of Achievement Breakfast with Champions. This yearly event brings together 20 fifth-grade girls—many of whom may be categorized as at-risk and all of whom have been identified as potential leaders. These students from Chandler, Glenwood, Piedmont, Ruffner and Watts elementary schools come to the YWCA and enjoy a delicious breakfast with the honorees and YWCA representatives.

At last week's Breakfast with Champions, Anita Casey, Kim Knopf and Lois Smith spoke to these girls about the challenges and difficulties that could have—but did not—prevent them from achieving their goals. The girls were then given the opportunity to tell us what they hope to achieve in the future. Some wanted to be lawyers. Others wanted to be doctors or teachers. We even had a few aspiring actresses and singers in our midst. Thanks to Steve Payne, each girl left with a framed professional photograph of herself with the honorees.

We thank our Women of Achievement for being such outstanding role models and we thank our Breakfast with Champions participants for reminding us of why it’s so important for girls—and women—to never stop striving for success.

Above: YWCA Executive Director Debby Weinstein talks to girls about their dreams and aspirations.

The votes are in!

Thank you to each and every one of our 119 different artists who submitted their artistic interpretations of "A World Without Racism" to the YWCA's first ever Eliminating Racism Art Contest. The contest and exhibit were a huge success! We appreciate the overwhelming community support of this unique event to further our mission of eliminating racism.

Each piece of artwork was judged based on its creativity and representation of the theme. Our judges reviewed so many innovative and compelling entries, they could hardly come to a decision! The winners in each age category were:

K-2 First Place: Olivia Burch - "We Are All Friends"
K-2 Second Place: Samantha Lawrence - "I Love All Colors"

K-2 Third Place: Hannah Gibson "Everyone Welcome"
3-5 First Place: Quinci Day Shavers - "And We Did"
3-5 Second Place: Morgan Stalnaker - "A World Without Racism"
3-5 Third Place: Oliver Bear - "Untitled"
6-8 First Place: Mallory Burka - "A Chorus of Different Colors"

6-8 Second Place: Rebecca Kozak - "A World Without Racism"

6-8 Third Place: Peyton Panger - "Love Your Neighbor"

9-12 First Place: Molly Bloom - "Hands to Bob"
9-12 Second Place: Sarah Hopkins - "Change"
9-12 Third Place: Michalene Crockett - "Equality"
Adult First Place: Dwayne Bevins - "A Simple Slushie Transcends Color"

Adult Second Place: Rebecca Burch - "Skinscape"
Adult Third Place: Alex Morgado - "Diversity Brightens the World"

And the overall Best in Show was Quinci Day Shavers for her inspirational and colorful portrait of President Barack Obama "And We Did" (pictured above). Look for her artwork gracing the cover of the spring YWCA newsletter!

Special thanks to the Clay Center for hosting our open house and part of this week-long exhibit. Also, thanks to our judges (Susan Poffenbarger, Hallie Dunlap, and Kayte Brannon) for their participation and their thoughtful decisions.

Women of Achievement Honoree #4: Callen McJunkin

Meet Callen McJunkin, the fourth 2009 YWCA Women of Achievement honoree and the last in our 4-week series of blog posts leading up to Thursday's event. It's not too late to get your tickets! $75 each (65% tax deductible) and you can buy them simply and securely online.

CALLEN MCJUNKIN brings an artistic flair to the state of West Virginia. After graduating with honors from Hollins College with a degree in art history, her love for art manifested itself in the business of representing artists and making fine art and craft available to area businesses and individuals. From exciting new regional artists to nationally recognized professionals, Callen has curated numerous exhibitions of fine regional and national artists and artisans – including curating the catalogue and acquiring the works for the permanent collection of West Virginia artists now on display at Marshall University College of Graduate Studies. She established the Callen McJunkin Gallery in 1991 and helped establish the Downtown Charleston ArtWalk to enliven downtown Charleston and make art more accessible.

Callen has lent her artistic expertise to the community by serving on the Sunrise Museum Board, Tamarack Advisory Board, the WV Commission on the Arts, FestivALL Steering Committee, Clay Center Advisory Board, Fund for the Arts Board and Kanawha Garden Club, and is a founding member and past president of the Clay Center Collector’s Club. She is also the former co-chair of the WV Committee to the National Museum of Women in the Arts, where her responsibilities included overseeing the exhibition of West Virginia Women Artists in Washington, and developing an educational program in WV for all ages to learn about women artists from 1300 to the present. In 2007, Callen received the Clay Center’s Kathe C. Payton “Spirit of Volunteerism” Award for her continuous commitment to making our community a more beautiful place.

Women of Achievement honoree #3: Empowerment Award winner Lois Smith

Meet Lois Smith, our 2009 BrickStreet Empowerment Award Winner. She is the third of this year’s YWCA Women of Achievement honorees and the third in our 4-week series of blog posts leading up to this inspirational event on February 19.

The Empowerment Award, this year sponsored by BrickStreet Insurance, recognizes and rewards a YWCA program participant who, through great perseverance and with the help of the YWCA, has overcome great obstacles and transformed her life.

In fact, LOIS SMITH has rebuilt her life in more ways than one. This year’s honoree withstood years of abuse from her former spouse. While attending the YWCA Resolve Family Abuse Program’s domestic violence support group, Lois found a place to live that promised a peaceful, safe and supportive environment – the YWCA Alicia McCormick Homes for Battered and Homeless Women and Children. Here, Lois developed a zest for life again. During her months in this transitional housing program, YWCA staff helped Lois find the strength to rebuild her self-esteem, learn how to manage her money, significantly reduce her debt, and secure a full-time job with the state tax department. After enduring a painful divorce, she was re-united with her son – now a sophomore in college.

In addition to securing permanent housing and receiving a promotion at work, Lois recently joined the YWCA Shanklin Center staff as a Residential Aid, where she considers her time with the residents the “highpoint” of her life. Dependable worker, compassionate caregiver, dedicated mother and now financially independent, Lois truly embodies the YWCA’s mission of empowering women.

Hear Lois's inspirational story first hand in her exclusive video interview on the Charleston Gazette's wesite.