Making a space feel like home. That is what a team of volunteer hopes for after helping make beds and pack welcome bags for future guests at the YWCA of Northeast Indiana’s new facility. With part of the facility opening for guests in the next couple weeks, the YWCA will ultimately open its doors to overnight guests in a space where they can transform lives, create positive change and stability and offer new opportunities for clients, their families and the community. 

During April, staff in the Fort Wayne district collected a variety of snack items and drinks to be part of welcome bags on each bed as new guests arrive. With help from the DDC, over 100 bags were put together to serve this purpose. The remaining snacks will be used at the YWCA for future guests as they use the facility. 

As the organization conducts final prep work for the grand opening, members of our team volunteered to help made beds in all the rooms of the facility. Despite the July-like weather, the team rallied to fix just under 170 beds.

“We have supported the YWCA’s work for nearly 20 years and always look forward to helping in our community however we can,” Tyna Reiter, I&M External Affairs coordinator. “It is great to see how the snack drive transitioned into packing the welcome bags, which carried into putting them in the new facility. It certainly was a full team effort.” 

For 125 years, the YWCA of Northeast Indiana has served the community through its dedication to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Read more about the work our team is doing, and how we are powering the next community initiative by visiting the community section on our website.