Each act of support honors the value of women’s lives
However you contribute, your support benefits individual women and helps the YWCA serve our community.
The YWCA of Western Massachusetts makes it easy for you to make a donation, volunteer, host an intern through your business, or advocate on issues of gender and racial inequality.
Interested? Read what our supporters have to say.
Voices of the YWCA
Who: Pat Barnes, office manager and media buyer, YWCA volunteer
Where: Pat lives in Suffield, CT
What she does: Pat has taught knitting at the Y for about 3 years.
Why the Y? “I thought it might be fun and fulfilling for the women (and their children) to learn how to knit and be able to create something of their own.”
What she likes most about volunteering for the Y: “Experiencing the ‘Oh, I get it now!’ moment when the person reaches the point when they understand what you’re trying to teach them and actually begins knitting.”
Who: Marcia Haas, vice president of planned giving services, institutional retirement, philanthropy & investments at Bank of America and a YWCA board member.
Where: Marcia lives in Agawam.
What she does: Marcia serves on the board and the finance and audit committees.
Why the Y? “I was asked in 1976 by Marion Robbins, who, at the time, was president of the board of directors, to come onto the board. The YWCA was looking to bring in some younger board members from the business community. All I knew of the YWCA was that it was one of the cheapest good meals in town for lunch, according to my brother.”
What she likes most about working with the Y? “Watching the organization grow and adapt to the times and to the evolving needs of women and girls and getting to know so many wonderful, and frequently inspiring women — both board and staff."
