YWCA of Greater Atlanta

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Thursday, May 01, 2008 XYWC 1SXYWC1SCyan Magenta Yellow Black

Filename: S1-XYWC-XYWC0501-XYWCSA Date/Time created: Apr 28 2008 1:42:18:266PM

YWCA of Greater Atlanta

A PUBLICATION OF ADVERTISING SPECIAL SECTIONS

Women in Transition program/Cascade House Page 8

Empowered Youth Entertainment Diversity Program 1

Salute to Womenof Achievement

celebrates 25 yearsPage 6

➤ Annual luncheon, May 14

THURSDAY MAY 1, 2008





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4646 North Shallowford Rd. Atlanta, Geogia 30338Phone: 770-676-6000 Fax: 770-392-9805

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Early Childhood Education touts diversityBy Mary Booth ThomasFor YWCA Salute to Women

The children in the YWCA of Greater Atlanta's Early Childhood Education program celebrated Christmas, Hanuk-kah and Kwanzaa last year.

The child-sized kitchen in the Vir-ginia-Highland facility is stocked with plastic egg rolls, tacos, pasta and shish kebabs as well as hamburgers and hot dogs. The dolls, storybooks, art supplies and costumes in the dramatic play area also celebrate Atlanta's multicultural communities.

It's all part of the YWCA's mission to �eliminate racism and empower wom-en,� said Tamika Scruggs, early child-hood education director.

�One of the goals of our program is to help children get to know children of other cultures and other races. We are teaching them that, while they have their differences, they are all the same,� she said.

The Early Childhood Learning Center provides full-time day care for children 6 weeks to 4 years old, Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

About 35 percent of the 113 chil-dren enrolled in the program are from minority groups and 16 percent are from

BARRY WILLIAMS/SpecialShaniya Hill and Rhett Burley play in the PreSchool2 classroom at the YWCA Early Childhood Learning Center in Virginia-Highland.

low-income families, Scruggs said.�We believe that child care is educa-

tion and not just baby-sitting,� she said. �We have a staff-child ratio that is lower

than state requirements. We follow lesson plans and a creative curriculum for children in each level, including the infants.�

The creative curriculum and the multicultural atmosphere attracted Desiree Biggs, a native of Mexico City, who enrolled her daughter, Fernanda Morales, after her family was displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

She later joined the YWCA staff as a volunteer coordinator.

�The doors are wide open for the multicultural kids to be in the program and to learn about each other,� Biggs said. �The staff is well-prepared, and they love what they do. My daughter speaks Spanish, and it's nice that some of the other kids take Spanish lessons,� she said.

Parents can enroll their children in Lingual Kids, an extracurricular pro-gram of Spanish lessons once a week, said Tomeki Hill, early childhood educa-tion coordinator.

Hill knows �rsthand the bene�ts of early childhood education. She has custody of her 4-year-old niece, Shaniya Hill, and has enrolled her at the YWCA.

�It's a very rewarding program. We're African-Americans, and I think it's ben-e�cial for Shaniya to have the opportuni-

ty to interact with Caucasian, Asian and Hispanic children. When children get to know people of other races and cultures at an early age, they don't have problems getting along later in life,� Hill said.

The YWCA's volunteer program encourages parents and other volunteers to work with the children. One volun-teer reads to the children in Spanish. Another, from Thailand, visited in full costume and performed a native dance.

�We never turn down volunteers. They do have to pass a background check and go through orientation,� she said. �We love to have people come in and interact with the kids. It helps the children grow.�

The program empowers women with families by providing a safe, nurturing place for children to receive care while their parents are working. It empowers the staff by encouraging them to con-tinue their education, offering �exible schedules, on-site training opportunities and computer access for online classes, Scruggs said.

Last year, the YWCA provided onsite training that enabled all staff to receive the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. The organization pays for 20 hours of continuing education for staff each year, double the state requirement.





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reasons to love

1. Has reached out to girls and women internationally since 1858.

2. Is the oldest and largest multicultural women's organi-zation in the world.

3. Has received the national Hallmark Award from the YWCA USA for creating Em-

powered Youth Entertainment, a racial-justice program that ad-vocates peace, leadership and respect for all humankind.

4. Can be found in 122 coun-tries around the world, serving 25 million women and their families.

5. Promotes its national mis-

By Grace Green/For YWCA Salute to Women

For 25 years, the YWCA of Greater Atlanta chapter has hon-ored some of city's most accomplished women ¨ leaders who have demonstrated excellence in their professions as well as a steadfast commitment of service to their communities and the YWCA's mission of empowering women and girls.

As the organization marks the silver anniversary of its Salute to Women of Achievement, we offer 25 things everyone should know about the YWCA.

25YWCA

25th ANNUAL YWCA SALUTE TO WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT LUNCHEON➤ When: May 14, 2008

➤ What: Honoring Atlanta's premier female role models through the Academy of Women Achievers

➤ Where: Georgia Ballroom, Georgia World Congress Center

➤ Information and tickets: www.ywcaatlanta.org

the

sion of eliminating racism and empowering women.

6. Has more than 1,300 sites in the United States, serving almost 2 million participants.

7. Is served by more than

70,000 volunteers whose work is strengthened by diversity as they help deliver services nationwide.

8. Uses drama to give 13- to 19-year-olds a means of explor-ing attitudes toward discrimina-

tion, intolerance and prejudice through its Empowered Youth Entertainment (EYE) Diversity Education Program.

9. Creates opportunities for young women's growth and leadership through mentoring programs with women leaders in Atlanta's major corporations.

10. Has empowered women since 1902, when the YWCA of Greater Atlanta was founded, offering programs that pro-mote education, advocacy and unity.

YWCA programs

from top left: Mentoring;

TGI Tech; EYE; Early Childhood Education; Women in Transition.

Photos by Philip McCollum, Barry Williams and YWCA

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11. Is one of the largest providers of child care in the United States, caring for more than 250,000 children annu-ally in programs such as Early Childhood Education at the Northeast Intown YWCA.

12. Opened the �rst deseg-regated public cafeteria in the Southeast in 1960.

13. Provides a safe and enrich-ing environment for youth in KYDZONE after-school pro-grams at eight metro Atlanta sites.

14. Cultivates interest and competence in science, tech-nology, engineering and math through Teen Girls in Technol-ogy (TGI Tech), which helps metro Atlanta girls overcome barriers and stereotypes in these �elds.

15. Educates women in underserved neighborhoods on breast and cervical health and refers them to screening centers through ENCOREplus, a national initiative.

16. Promotes health and well-ness and combats childhood obesity through the Falcons Fit-ness Program at Cook Elemen-tary School in Atlanta.

17. Opened the �rst emer-gency night shelter for women and their children in Atlanta in 1987.

18. Gives aid, transitional shelter and residential support to more than 15,000 metro Atlanta homeless women and

their children through the Women in Transition and In-terim Housing programs.

19. Addresses and prevents homelessness by providing comprehensive services to women and children that improve self-suf�ciency and the ability for mothers to gain and retain employment to support their families.

20. Operates the Cascade House, which provides home-less women and children with temporary housing and sup-port to make safe and positive transitions into new lives.

21. Serves as a preeminent provider of programs and shelters for victims of domestic violence in the United States, serving more than 500,000 women and children annually.

22. Provides job shadowing opportunities for girls at major Atlanta corporations that open doors to future career oppor-tunities.

23. Recognizes women who embody the YWCA mission through the Academy of Women Achievers and at the annual Salute to Women of Achievement Luncheon.

24. Provides job training and �nancial literacy classes for women through its Women in Transition program.

25. Helps �nancially chal-lenged mothers with child-care costs.

2008 YWCA SALUTE TO WOMENOF ACHIEVEMENT

This section is produced by the Advertising Special Sections Department of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303

Editor: Rebecca Little, 404-526-5951 or [email protected]

Manager: Martha Foster, 404-526-5750 or [email protected]

Staff: John Brieske, managing editor; Bill Boykins, Fran Casselman and Amy Schneider, editors

Advertising contact: Raquel Jarrett, 404-526-5978 or [email protected]

On the cover: Photos by Barry Williams. Clockwise from left: Preschool teacher Angela Parks and Olivia Koval, 4, at the YWCA Early Childhood Learning Center; quilt at Cascade House; Empowered Youth Entertainment rehearsal.

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A Salute to 25 years By Pamela A. KeeneFor YWCA Women of Achievement

In the early 1980s, women were notably sparse in the boardrooms of major corpo-

rations and in leadership posi-tions across the country. All of that has changed, thanks in large part to a program developed by the national YWCA called Trib-ute to Women in Industry.

�At that time, the national organization knew there were women in leadership positions and decided it was time to recognize them,� said Ann Stal-lard, former national president and lifetime honorary board member of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta. Stallard also has served on the international board of the YWCA; she was in-ducted into the Academy of Women Achievers in 1994.

�By lifting up women of achievement in in-dustry, arts and educa-tion, the YWCA not only celebrated their accomplishments, it also continued its mission to connect women together and to provide strong role models for future generations.�

The YWCA instituted the academy in 1984; Rosalynn Carter was the �rst Woman of Achievement. She was inducted with nine other women as the initial members of the academy.

Since then, more than 200 women have been inducted into the academy, including Coretta Scott King, Anne Cox Cham-bers, Gladys Knight, Jane Fonda, Shirley Franklin, Evern Cooper Epps, Stephanie Blank, Ingrid Saunders Jones, Dorothy Fuqua, Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Leah Ward Sears.

�From the beginning, we realized that women's contri-butions are being made at the board table, the community table and the kitchen table, across all demographics and from a variety of backgrounds,� said Justine Boyd, CEO of the

YWCA of Greater Atlanta. �As we celebrate Salute's silver anniver-sary, it is a privilege to induct these empowered women into our Academy of Achievers. Each serves as a paradigm of distinc-tion whose laurels make us be-lievers in our ability to overcome racism and sexism, live out our dreams and continue to spread hope throughout our city and beyond. �

The 10 honorees are chosen each year by a formal selection committee, which may consider 40 to 50 nominees. Candidates are recommended by employ-ers, community leaders, other academy members and the com-

munity at large, early in the year.

Carol Jackson, now retired as executive vice president of the Federal Home Loan Bank of At-lanta, was named Woman of Achievement in 1999.

�The women are all incredible. The impact they each have on the community and their ability to in�uence young girls to help them under-stand that they can do

even more than they believe they can. It's amazing what we're able to do as a connected group,� Jackson said.

The annual Salute to Women of Achievement luncheon, scheduled for May 14, honors women who make positive strides in business, the commu-nity and in the lives of others, but it goes much further than recognizing the 10 nominees.

�Certainly, each year's inductees are outstanding, but in this city there are so many women doing great works that it makes the selection process very challenging,� said Brenda Reid, chairwoman of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta board of directors.

�The academy is a wonderful, symbiotic way not only to salute outstanding women; it's also the living example of the strength and inspiration for future gen-erations,� Reid said.

Academy shines spotlight on women's achievements

PINNEY L. ALLENSenior partner, Alston & Bird LLP

Community: The Atlanta Women's Foundation, The Lovett School, Breakthrough Atlanta.

Family: Husband Buddy (Charles) Miller, daughters Linden Miller, 20, and Doria Miller, 17.

Biggest influence on your life/career:

I had a series of strong people in my life: My teachers in primary school, Mrs. Blakely, Mrs. Emerson, Mrs. Gray; my piano teacher, who also taught me life lessons; my mother ¨ one of the smartest and wisest women I know; my father, who taught me to work hard; my spouse, who has supported me in everything I've done; and the many partners who have mentored and cared about me professionally and, even more, personally.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:It may sound clichï for a woman in my position, but the greatest challenge that I have overcome is being a woman in a male-dominated profession and balancing the responsibilities of my career with those of being a wife, mother, daughter and sister.

Advice to young women:Focus on education, especially the ability to write and to think clearly and critically; the ability to read and comprehend; and the ability to think analytically. Be fearless in the face of change and challenge; seek excellence; desire and have the capacity to tackle the world, whatever it brings.

LISA M. BORDERSPresident, Atlanta City Council,CEO, The LMB Group LLC

Community: Trustee, Clark Atlanta University; trustee, The Westminster Schools; director, St. Joseph Health-care System; director, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta.

Family: Adult son

Biggest influence on your life/career:My grandfather, the late Rev. William Holmes Borders Sr., and pastor of Wheat Street Baptist Church for more than 50 years. He led by example, speaking out against injustice and working tirelessly for

2008 HONOREES the uplift of the entire community. He simply worked to solve problems and address basic needs and civil rights, like affordable housing and the equal opportunity for work. He cared deeply about bringing people together in a once-segregated society.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Running a multimillion-dollar business while raising a son as a single mother.

Advice to young women:Enjoy and celebrate the professional and personal dimensions of their lives.

SUSANA MARIA CHAVEZVice president, Parking Company of America

Community: Atlanta Commission on Women, chairwoman of the board; Anti-Prejudice Consortium, immediate past chair and current fund-raising chair; Atlanta Women's Foundation, board member; CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), vice chairwoman

CREW Leadership 2008; Metro Atlanta Arts Fund, board member; Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Family: Husband John �Enoah� Cook; two children, three stepchildren and two grandchildren.

Biggest influence on your life/career:My mother and father. When I was a child my mother took care of me, loved me and taught me to read. I could always count on her. My dad worked most of the time, except on Sundays. After church, he took us to our farm and taught us to ride horses. My parents are still hugely important to me. In her 80s, my mom states more clearly what she wants, teaches me to take action and has introduced me to the opera. My father now gives me more of his time.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Being a woman in a male-dominated society. For many years I thought my reasoning was somehow �awed. Later I learned I had a different perspective that was just as valid as that of the men surrounding me. Recent studies show that women make only 77 cents to every dollar a man makes. But attitudes toward women continue to change for the better.

Advice to young women:You are more capable than you give yourself credit for. Your drive, tenacity, brain power and heartfelt approach to life are worth a lot. Get a college and graduate degree. Apply

for positions that challenge you. Negotiate your salary, bonuses and bene�ts.

LaJEAN WALLER GOULD Founder/president, Women in GolfFoundation

Community: Georgia Black United Fund; African American Golfer's Digest, editorial advisory board; Executive Women's Golf Association.

Family: Husband Otis; daughter and son-in-law, Jonet and Rodrick Eason.

Biggest influence on your life/career:My mother. She was a single parent who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and believe in myself. She has been a role model for me: strong, determined, focused and a �rst in many accomplishments. Her work paved the way for me and other women today. I stand on her shoulders so that others may stand on my shoulders.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Realizing that the �real� glass ceiling is directed at the progress of women. For many years, I focused on the race barrier until I truly understood the challenges that women face. My challenge was double, but it was important to prioritize the challenges in the appropriate order to ensure progress.

Advice to young women:When challenges arrive, remember that you are only limited by your own imagination. Visualize yourself in the midst of your dreams, enjoying your accomplishments, and then put your heart and soul into making that dream a reality.

LISA HAMILTONPresident, The UPS Foundation

Community: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship, chairwoman; Disaster Assistance Working Group; Atlanta Education Fund; Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship; United Way of Metro Atlanta.

Family: Husband Erick Hamilton; daughter Lauren Hamilton, 5.

Biggest influence on your life/career:My parents were strong proponents of education and encouraged me to pursue college and then law school. They also helped me believe that any goal was within my reach and helped me identify learning opportunities, such as international exchange and leadership development programs, to help me achieve those goals. Even today, they are my closest advisers and biggest cheerleaders.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Finding a way to transition from my initial

Justine Boyd, CEO, YWCA of Greater Atlanta





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for positions that challenge you. Negotiate your salary, bonuses and bene�ts.

LaJEAN WALLER GOULD Founder/president, Women in GolfFoundation

Community: Georgia Black United Fund; African American Golfer's Digest, editorial advisory board; Executive Women's Golf Association.

Family: Husband Otis; daughter and son-in-law, Jonet and Rodrick Eason.

Biggest influence on your life/career:My mother. She was a single parent who encouraged me to pursue my dreams and believe in myself. She has been a role model for me: strong, determined, focused and a �rst in many accomplishments. Her work paved the way for me and other women today. I stand on her shoulders so that others may stand on my shoulders.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Realizing that the �real� glass ceiling is directed at the progress of women. For many years, I focused on the race barrier until I truly understood the challenges that women face. My challenge was double, but it was important to prioritize the challenges in the appropriate order to ensure progress.

Advice to young women:When challenges arrive, remember that you are only limited by your own imagination. Visualize yourself in the midst of your dreams, enjoying your accomplishments, and then put your heart and soul into making that dream a reality.

LISA HAMILTONPresident, The UPS Foundation

Community: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Corporate Citizenship, chairwoman; Disaster Assistance Working Group; Atlanta Education Fund; Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship; United Way of Metro Atlanta.

Family: Husband Erick Hamilton; daughter Lauren Hamilton, 5.

Biggest influence on your life/career:My parents were strong proponents of education and encouraged me to pursue college and then law school. They also helped me believe that any goal was within my reach and helped me identify learning opportunities, such as international exchange and leadership development programs, to help me achieve those goals. Even today, they are my closest advisers and biggest cheerleaders.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Finding a way to transition from my initial

career as a tax lawyer. It is a very speci�c profession, and it was dif�cult for others to understand how my skill set was applicable to other opportunities. However, I utilized volunteerism and leadership programs to enhance my skills and demonstrate my value in other areas, and after six years was given an opportunity outside of tax law.

Advice to young women:Focus on the three P's: planning, preparation and people. Planning means �guring out what goal you want to pursue, whether it is a speci�c job, company, or industry. Preparation means developing your skill set to enable you to meet the opportunity when it comes. People means making connections with those who can help you achieve your goals.

CANDACE KASPERSPresident, Gender Plus+ Inc., a consulting, training and business-coaching company

Community:Board member, Center for the Visually Impaired; former president of the Women Business Owners of Atlanta; board member and former board chairwoman of the Anti-Prejudice Consortium; board of directors of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta

and former board chairwoman.

Family: Husband Bill Kaspers; daughter, Brett O'Brien; and son Tyler Kaspers.

Biggest influence on your life/career:Betty Smulian, former chairperson of TrimbleHouse, and Ann Stallard, Principal of Graphic Communications Corp. They are both eloquent and incisive businesswomen and volunteers who encouraged me to be as committed to the Atlanta community as I had been to my profession.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Led a three-year �ght and jury trial in federal court to support Jewish college faculty against discrimination and won the battle against institutional discrimination.

Advice to young women:As you move to new heights in your life and career, it is essential that you stay true to your beliefs, respect others and lift other women as you climb.

PENELOPE McPHEE President,The Arthur M. BlankFamily Foundation

Community: Voices for Georgia's Children; Atlanta Committee for Progress; Atlanta Education Fund; Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; Atlanta Falcons

Youth Foundation.

Family: Husband Raymond H. McPhee; daughter Cameron Brook McPhee.

Biggest influence on your life/career: My father encouraged me to follow my dreams and supported me in my pursuit of them. He provided opportunity, allowed me to explore and experiment, refrained from judging, and assumed that I would succeed in whatever endeavor I undertook. He was the �wind beneath my wings.�

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Recovering when our home and business were destroyed by Hurricane Andrew, and reaching out to help others who did not have the same resources.

Advice for young women:Be bold and stretch. You will never regret the things you did, only the things you didn't do. Create your own canvas. Don't let others paint you into their picture of what success looks like.

RHONDA MIMSPresident, ING Foundation

Community: Thurgood Marshall College Fund; Woodruff Arts Center; America's Promise;Operation Hope.

Family: Divorced; daughter Ansely Gabrielle Simpson, 28 months.

Biggest influence on your life/career:I �nd Oprah Winfrey to be a true inspiration. Her story is amazing. She is the best example of a woman of color defying all barriers and accomplishing anything in life. In addition, all four of my grandparents had really great personal and work ethics. I admired each of them. They also helped me realize that I was put on this earth to accomplish whatever my heart desired.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:My greatest challenges in life have been ones that I have self-imposed. For instance, I �nally had to accept that there are some facets of life that are simply beyond my control. I am a self-proclaimed perfectionist, so for me each day is a challenge, especially when it's one of those days in which nothing will go right.

Advice to young women:Recognize that your �rst responsibility is to yourself as a woman, then others.

LOUISE SAMSExecutive vice president and general counsel, Turner Broadcasting System; pres-ident, Turner Broadcasting System International

Community: Board member, High Museum of Art; board member, Metro

Atlanta YMCA; member of the Princeton University board of trustees.

Family: Single, no children.

Biggest influence on your life/career:My parents. My father passed away several years ago; my mother is still alive, and they both continue to in�uence me. Both being wonderful people who think about others, who give back to those who are in need ¨ without any desire for recognition. They taught me about integrity and doing the right thing. They have loved me for who I am and have been supportive in all that I do.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Leaving comfort zones, where you know what you are doing and feel con�dent about your work. In taking on the responsibility of Turner's international business, I stepped out of the comfort of practicing law. I had to learn to analyze business opportunities and initiatives in a slightly different way, ask different questions and admit that I didn't know everything I needed to know right off the bat.

Advice to young women:Seize opportunities, even when you fear you are not yet prepared for the next step. Those opportunities don't come along often enough, and you will surprise yourself at how well you do.

CECILIA TORRENCECommunity involvement of�cer, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

Community: American Red Cross minority recruitment board member; Future Foundation board member; League of Women Voters board member; South West Atlanta Youth Foundation, COO; Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia volunteer.

Family: Husband Leigh Torrence Sr.; son Leigh Torrence Jr., who plays football for the Washington Redskins.

Biggest influence on your life/career:My grandmother, Malinda Johnson. She taught me strong Christian values and instilled in me the con�dence that has sustained me though life's many journeys. Juanita Powell Baranco has been a mentor and friend. She gives great advice and tells me what I need to hear, and not necessarily what I want to hear. She also inspires me by the example that she sets for me and other women and girls by being a great mother, teacher, businesswoman and friend.

Greatest challenge you have overcome:Developing and implementing the community involvement program at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. Since I was appointed as the �rst community involvement coordinator in 1997, the program has grown and continues to be an excellent recruiting tool for new employees.

Advice to young women:Find your passion and pursue it. Start saving for retirement the day you start working.





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By Karon WarrenFor YWCA Salute to Women

Sometimes in life, things don't turn out the way we planned, and we �nd ourselves struggling to get back on our feet. For homeless women and their children, the YWCA of Greater Atlanta's Women in

Women in Transition program lends helping handCascade House Program Director Kecia Lott (left) and case manager Sara Ryan (center) address residents during a house meeting.

go,� Lott said.To get them on their way, par-

ticipants stay in Cascade House rent-free, but they must share responsibilities, such as per-forming household chores and preparing meals. They also par-ticipate in the program's manda-tory savings plan, in which 30 percent of their monthly income is deposited into a savings ac-count on their behalf. Upon completion of the program, they get the money back, which can be used for debt relief, utility deposits, �rst month's rent and other necessities.

Statistic show that the Women in Transition program appears to be working. In 2007, Cascade House served 12 wom-en and their children. Of those, �ve were discharged while the others continue working toward independence. All successfully gained employment.

The program worked for Evelyn Hicks of Atlanta, who entered WIT in 1993 with her two children. She said being a part of the program helped her focus on herself and her daugh-ters. She also bene�ted from the

workshops she attended through the program, particularly those on budgeting money and anger management.

�I am able to cope with my problems better by going through the workshops,� Hicks said. �I'm not ashamed. It's made me a better person.�

Four years ago, Hicks re-turned to the YWCA, this time to help others as she herself was helped. �It keeps me grounded,� she said. �It reminds me of what I need to stay on track.�

Lott said she sees the positive effect WIT has on those enrolled in the program.

�In the year that I've been here, it's had a tremendous impact,� she said. �I'm con-stantly talking about the women and children we serve and how they're on the right path.�

Case in point: She recalls a letter she received from a 16-year-old boy. He wrote, �Thank you for Cascade House. Thank you for giving me shelter.�

�I get the opportunity to plant the seed and see it grow,� Lott said. �We get to see them prosper.�

BARRY WILLIAMS/Special

Transition (WIT) program offers a place to regain their footing. Participants receive transitional housing at Cascade House, the organization's housing facility, as well as resources and referrals for long-term housing, health care, child care and job readi-ness. The ultimate goal is to lead participants to self-suf�ciency.

Although the program is structured for an 18-month stay, WIT Director Kecia Lott said they encourage participants to complete the program in a shorter time frame. She sees the extra six months as a cushion rather than a crutch. �If we do our job in 12 months, they should be prepared and ready to

Congratulations

From: Your Mom, Family & Friends

Dr. Candace KaspersFounder & PrincipalGender Plus+, Inc.





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OFFICERS

Brenda Reid, presidentKaren Walker,vice presidentDeborah Schwartz-Grif�n, secretaryWendy Thomas, treasurer

MEMBERS

Ashley Scott AgardAndrella BaylisMary L. BennettSonia BookerAnnette GainesMartina JimenezMeryl LacyConnie McIntyreAmanda Pace

Mary PikeSusan RichardsonLeslie SibertAnn StallardTeresa StivariusRuby SwannSusan J. ThompsonPauline WarriorCarol Reid WhiteMyrna White

YWCA OF GREATER ATLANTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Empowered Youth Entertainment program at the YWCA of Greater Atlanta recently won the Hallmark Award, given by the YWCA USA as part of its Racial Justice Awards. Pictured (from left) are EYE Artistic Director Sharrell Luckett, students Cathi Muse and Jazmine Girten, and Alisa Porter, YWCA of Greater Atlanta chief program of�cer. The award recognizes achievements by a local association in eliminating racism and advancing racial justice.

YWCA

EYE wins national award





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YWCA of Greater Atlanta

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