JANESVILLE
YWCA Rock County will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2022 with several special eventsstarting with an event focused on empowering people through art.
The first event to celebrate the organizations first century is the Artful Empowerment Event. YWCA is looking for local artists to create art on 8-inch by 10-inch cotton canvas panels. Participants may use any media. The only requirement is that artists must use the theme empowerment as their inspiration.
YWCA will raffle off the completed panels as a fundraiser. Those who wish to participate and pick up canvases can contact YWCA Communications Director Kari Dray at 608-752-5445 ext. 206 or email kdray@ywca
Jan. 13 is the deadline for completed art to be dropped off at Ravens Wish at 101 W. Milwaukee St. in Janesville. The art will be exhibited at Ravens Wish from Jan. 28 to Feb. 23. The art raffles will be held Feb. 24.
All art will be sold for $100 each through a random number draw raffle. All proceeds will benefit YWCAs programs.
Along with the Artful Empowerment Event, the YWCA will hold a Women of Distinction Event on May 11, a CARE House Golf Outing on June 10, the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Event (on a day still to be determined) and its Racial Justice Conference next November.
YWCA history
The YWCA began in 1905 when a group of Janesville women met at Sue Jeffris home. However, they were unable to successfully establish the group because the national YWCA was not permitting the formation of affiliated groups in communities of fewer than 25,000 residents.
Nevertheless, local organizations in Janesville formed the YWCA in 1921. The then Janesville 69蹤獲 reported that the support given the organization is evidenced in the report of the treasurer in which it was shown that 1,000 people donated $19,010 for establishing and conducting the organization during the coming year.
The YWCA was first located in a rented space on the third floor of the Janesville 69蹤獲 building. The YWCA moved to 420 Jackson Street near the Tallman House in 1929. Marian Leavit donated the home.
In 1953, YWCA moved again. James A Craig, local businessman and philanthropist, acquired the home of the late Allen P. and July Stow Lovejoy at 220 S. Lawrence Ave. and donated it to the YWCA.
The YWCAs current location is 1735 South Washington Street, behind the CARE House, in Janesville. The CARE House, Rock Countys first and only child advocacy center in Wisconsin, was built in 1993 on Conde Street in South Janesville.
Hope on the Horizon
With only a few days left in 2021, the YWCA is still looking to raise money for its Hope on the Horizon campaign. The effort helps YWCA programs, including its CARE House, child care, anti-violence, immigrant outreach and racial justice programming.
This funding helps sustain these programs throughout the year and ensure that we are able to continue to provide these important services to our community, Dray said. We are currently at 33% of our goal and any little bit helps us get closer to achieving our end of year fundraising goal.
Donations can be made by mailing checks to YWCA Rock County, 1735 South Washington Street, or by visiting YWCA website, .
