One Week Left! Please Help if You Can!

The Big Red Shoes Are Back

The YWCA Staff Team needs some help to reach our goal.  There is one more week left to reach our goal!  Go to www.ywcancin.org and click on the red shoe or click on the link.

Join us in my efforts to support YWCA - North Central Indiana

Thank you for supporting YWCA - North Central. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.

Team Fundraising Goal:	$1,000.00
Total Raised:	$400.00

Can you walk a mile in her shoes! Join men throughout Michiana in the effort to raise awareness & money for the YWCA's Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault programs.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

9 am check in begins

10 am walk begins

Coveleski Stadium

South Bend, IN

Can You Find a Way to Help!

I’m going to tell you the story of “Mary.” Mary could be a client at the YWCA. She is a young mother struggling to go to school, work, and take care of her kids. She wants more than anything to make a break the cycle of poverty that has gripped her family for generations. Since she doesn’t have her GED yet, she can not get a good paying job so she is living with her boyfriend, the father of her youngest daughter. She has three children (4, 3, and 1) and she just told her boyfriend that she thinks she is pregnant again. He gets angry and calls her a whore and says he can’t afford anymore kids. He says he already pays enough in child support and that he will leave her if she doesn’t have an Abortion. He pushes her towards the stairs, but luckily she grabs the stair railing to avoid falling down the stairs onto the floor below. Unsatisfied and still angry, he grabs her hair and pulls her into their room and smashes her head into the mirror. Her oldest daughter walks into the room to see what happened and the door is shut in her face. This young mother’s first instinct is to protect her children, so she tries to leave the room, but he won’t let her. She sits cowering in the corner of the room afraid to make a sound, so she doesn’t make him angry again. She sits there thinking to herself that she can’t afford to live on her own and she has nowhere else to turn, so she begs him for forgiveness. She is crying, scared, and bleeding, but what other choice does she have but to stay? In a few days, he will apologize and life will get back to “normal”…at least until she does something “wrong” again.


This women is made up, but this story plays out in different ways all over Michiana and I think it’s time we found an end domestic violence. How does that happen? It happens when we raise awareness that the issue exists in all households, in all demographics, in all races, and yes…it happens to men as well. The YWCA is in the business of helping women and their children escape and find a safe place to stay while they attend classes, find a better job, and get the counseling that they need. The YWCA is working to break the cycle of poverty by offering the clients life skills classes where they can learn things such as job interviewing skills, resume writing, parenting skills, CPR/First Aid, financial management, and so much more.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month!  I think a great way to start the month is to make the YWCA's Walk a Mile in her Shoes a great event.

Join men throughout Michiana in the effort to raise awareness & money for the YWCA's Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault programs.
Go to www.ywcancin.org and donate to the cause or join the team of walkers.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
9 am check in begins
10 am walk begins
Coveleski Stadium

Our Crazy Summer

This has been a really busy summer so far in the Pitney household.   We just went entered the new Fiscal year at work.  That means that not only am I am working to finish up the prior Fiscal Year, but I also have get everything started for the new one.  I finished the Annual Data report last week.  I kill a few good trees everything I have to complete that.  It's between 60 and 70 pages long and I need to print 9 final copies of it and I have to do it at the end of every Quarter.   It is interesting to look at the finished report and see what we have done all the year and how many clients we have served.  It tells a fun picture of what we do. 
Due to budget cuts, I am still only working 36 hours a week, plus the hours I'm working at Sears.  We are working to get some new funding to replace what we lost.  We also just finished a big event and we another have one coming up in October.  Walk A Mile: Mens March Against Domestic Violence --> Steve is participating in this and could use your support.

Steve has been working really hard too.  His hours were cut back to 32 hours a week at the YWCA, so that means he will have one day off every week.  That will give him so four day weekends, so he is happy about that.  He is picking up whatever hours he can at Sears to make up the difference.  I really do have a great husband.  He has a really tiring job some weeks, but he still willing to work sometimes up to 24 hours a week at Sears.
With both of us working on average 50 or so hours a week, it makes it interesting to find time to spend together.  God has been providing for us in amazing ways this summer and I trust that He will continue to do so.  There are a few goals that may have to slowed down a little for us, but the important things are still in tact.  This post made me really tired to read. I think I'm going to take a nap...after I make dinner, exercise on the Wii Fit a little, and do some house cleaning.  I have to admit life is pretty good right now.

YWCA Men's March Against Domestic Violence 2011

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  The YWCA North Central Indiana is kicking off the month with Walk a Mile in her shoes - Men's March Against Domestic Violence.  Steve is participating in this event again this year.  I'm announcing it early, so you can mark the date on your calendar.  Steve missed his goal last year by only $50.  I think he plans on raising his goal this year even higher than last year.  I have faith that he can make his goal this year.  It's on Saturday, October 1, 2011.  I will most post details as the date gets closer and of course I'll post a link to his pledge site.

This is for a great cause so I hope as many people that can will participate.  If you cannot participate yourself, please consider giving Steve a pledge when the time comes.

If anyone knows of any fun ways to build pledges, let me know and I'll pass the idea along to Steve.

2010 YWCA Walk a Mile

The YWCA Men's March Against Violence Against Women

I think the event was a success.  It's so great to see men standing up against violence.  There were some pretty great men there.  The top pledge raiser raised almost $3000.  Steve had a goal of $300 and as of today, he has raised $248 in pledges.

He even accessorized and dressed in red to match his shoes. It was a pretty cold morning, but I think the men had a good time anyway.

It's not too late to support him if you want.  Every little bit helps.  All the money goes to help women and children escaping domestic violence and sexual assault.  Last year the YWCA served almost 1400 women and children.  Many of the women are young, single mothers who have a high school diploma or some college education with little or no income.  These women come to YWCA with almost nothing and the YWCA helps them get back on their feet, so they can take care of their family in a safe environment.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

To support him follow the link.

Thank you so much to everyone that has supported him and YWCA so far.

YWCA Men's Walk Against Violence 2010: October 2, 2010

This year's Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Event is October 2nd, 2010.  This is the second year for this event and last year it was a blast.
To Register and collect pledges of your own go to ywcancin.org.
If you can't walk yourself, then please make a pledge and support Steve.

Follow This Link to visit Steve's personal web page and help him in his efforts to support YWCA - north central Indiana.
Support Steve Here!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month!

YWCA Walk a Mile in Her Shoes 2009

April 4th, 2009

Walk a Mile in Her Shoe 2009 Click above to see pictures.

To all the men who bravely strapped on a pair of heels and marched around Coveleski Stadium...THANK YOU! We had a great time and we hope you did too.

A big thank you also goes out to all those who supported the walkers by pledging a donation in their name. The YWCA is touched by your support but most importantly the lives of women and children impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault will be touched by your generosity.

Click HERE if you would still like to make a donation.

Walk a Mile Support T-Shirt

This is the tentative design for the Support T-Shirt. Let me know what you think about it.

Save the Date! "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes"

"Walk a Mile in Her Shoes"

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Coveleski Stadium

9:00 am Check-in (receive shoes & tshirt)

10:00 am Walk Begins

Save the Date!
On April 4, 2009 join Honorary Walk Chairman Joe Kernan and the Silverhawk's mascot Swoop for "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes."

The YWCA of St. Joseph County is sponsoring the Men's March to Stop Violence Against Women.
Held in communities across the world, the march is a fun, creative way to get the community talking about solutions to violence against women.

What makes it so fun? The men are asked to wear women's shoes. Why? Because it gets the community talking about a very serious topic.

Click here to register or make a pledge

Help us stop Domestic Violence and Sexual Assualt in our communities. Join in the fun.