Moncton, May 7th, 2012 – Every spring, YWCA Moncton (along with YWCAs across Canada) sends out a call for nominations for the Women of Distinction awards. These awards recognize and celebrate women in the Greater Moncton community who, through their own initiative, ability, and effort, have made exemplary achievements in their field and who, because of the goals they have achieved, have become outstanding role models! Women chosen as recipients are honoured at a the Women of Distinction evening gala and awards ceremony, which is also YWCA Moncton’s most critical annual fundraising event. The 2012 Women of Distinction gala will be held at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Thursday, May 24th 5:30pm-9pm.

“It is so important that we take the time to celebrate the outstanding work that women do, to acknowledge their generosity of spirit. The celebration is all the more poignant because it helps support the YWCA in continuing to offer high quality programs in our community. It also gives an opportunity for the attendees and sponsors to show the same spirit of generosity as our Women of Distinction,” explains Jewell Mitchell, Executive Director of YWCA Moncton.

The YWCA of Moncton is proud to honor the following women in the eight Women of Distinction categories below:

Johanne Petitpas – Community Building & Volunteerism
Helen MacDonnell – Health & Active Living
Monique Richard – Arts, Culture & Design
Michelle Carinci – Business & the Professions
Sandra Foreman – Education, Training & Development
Sylvie Lirette – Non-Profit & Public Service
Estelle Lanteigne – Young Woman of Distinction
Ruth Beers – Honorary Recognition Award

The event will feature a delicious buffet, musical entertainment and, thanks to many generous sponsors, will a silent auction. Tickets for this noteworthy evening can be purchased for $ 50 from Moncton’s YWCA office and at Read’s Newsstands in Riverview and Moncton (Main Street location). Sponsoring additional seats for women living in low-income situations is encouraged and appreciated. All proceeds will support YWCA initiatives.

The YWCA provides a broad range of services to the community, focusing on responding to clients’ needs through empowerment-based approaches. The organization offers employment and life skills training; supportive housing programs; violence-prevention programming and workshops; youth case management, tutoring, and mentorship; legal services; and support groups (eating disorders, grief). YWCA Moncton also has a resource center and provides referrals to other organizations.

The YWCA offices are now located in Moncton’s Community Peace Center at 22 Church Street, Suite T310.

For interviews or more information (including award recipients’ photographs/bios) contact:

Chantal Landry | Office Manager | info@ywcamoncton.com

| (506) 855-4349

The YWCA Moncton is pleased to offer a FREE two-day Financial Literacy training, covering topics such as Exploring our Relationship with Money, Budgeting, Savings, Banking, Consumerism, Credit/Credit Cards, Debt and Financial Woes, Credit Reports/Credit Rating, and Investment Basics.

Training is on-going so call 506-855-4349 to reserve your seat for the next available training. We are also able to go on-site and offer training to the clients or staff of non-profit organization or corporations.

Rainbows, an international organization, provides a bridge to emotional healing for children, adolescents, and adults confronting death, divorce or other painful family transition – “because it doesn’t need to hurt forever.”

Each year Rainbows provides training and curricula for 32,000 volunteers offering grief support services. Since Rainbows inception, nearly one million children and their families in 49 states and 17 countries have benefited. Youth and their families receive these services in churches, synagogues, schools and social service agencies regardless of age or religious affiliation.

What makes Rainbows unique among other support groups that address grief issues in children, adolescents and adults?

International outreach, providing grief support services and curricula for two decades.

• Cost-effective, volunteer-driven delivery with no annual fee to providers and no cost to youth participants.
• Endorsed by educational and religious organizations, as well as many of the “helping” professions.
• Rainbows backs all of its volunteers with liability insurance covering training and curricula delivery.
• Quality control through site management and curriculum evaluation.
• Service includes extensive training, a toll free phone number and local site support.
• Curriculum tailored to age and loss circumstances.

For more information visit www.rainbows.ca

YWCA Moncton will be offering the Rainbows program at Beaverbrook Middle School starting January 2011.

Now taking registrations for the adult Rainbows group (Kaleidoscope) being held at YWCA Moncton.

Rainbows, an international organization, provides a bridge to emotional healing for children, adolescents, and adults confronting death, divorce or other painful family transition – “because it doesn’t need to hurt forever.”

Each year Rainbows provides training and curricula for 32,000 volunteers offering grief support services. Since Rainbows inception, nearly one million children and their families in 49 states and 17 countries have benefited. Youth and their families receive these service in churches, synagogues, schools and social service agencies regardless of age or religious affiliation.

What makes Rainbows unique among other support groups that address grief issues in children, adolescents and adults?

• International outreach, providing grief support services and curricula for two decades.
• Cost-effective, volunteer-driven delivery with no annual fee to providers and no cost to youth participants.
• Endorsed by educational and religious organizations, as well as many of the “helping” professions.
• Rainbows backs all of its volunteers with liability insurance covering training and curricula delivery.
• Quality control through site management and curriculum evaluation.
• Service includes extensive training, a toll free phone number and local site support.
• Curriculum tailored to age and loss circumstances.

YWCA Moncton will be offering the Rainbows program at Beaverbrook Middle School starting this January. Stay tuned for more information!

YWCA Resource Center Holiday Hours

December  2011:

Monday, December 26^th – Closed

Tuesday, December 27^th – Closed,

Wednesday, December 28^th- Closed

Thursday , December 29^th- Closed

Friday, December 30th - Closed

January 2012:

Monday, January 2nd - Closed

Common Cents and Baby $teps are ongoing financial literacy programs designed to assist women in becoming economically empowered through awareness, education and support.  Common Cents uses a practical everyday approach to making the most of money. Based on the SEDI (Social Enterprise Development Innovation) curriculum, this program walks participants through the topics of: Exploring our Relationship with Money, Budgeting, Savings, Banking, Consumerism, Credit / credit Cards, Debt, Credit Bureau/Credit Scores, and Investing Basics.

Baby $teps is an education savings initiative supported by the Government of Canada and delivered by YWCA Moncton in partnership with YWCA Halifax and is delivered via small group sessions or individually depending upon the needs of the participant.  This program’s goal is to help participants save for their child’s post-secondary education and access the many benefits available in RESPs through education savings incentives, such as free grants of $500.

Women on the Move is a six-week foundations course for women interested in exploring new career paths.  This program, which will be offered in the fall of 2011, will focus on defining a clear career vision with a tangible plan mapping out the various steps needed to achieve that goal.  This program will give participants the opportunity to examine their own interests and aptitudes while having a first-hand opportunity to visit education and pre-employability centres in the Greater Moncton Area.  By creating an opportunity to investigate and plan, women will be confident in selecting a career path that fits their individual preferences and needs.

The YWCA Moncton’s Family Law Information and Support and Rainbows are also part of the services offered at the Women’s Success Centre.

Common Cents and Baby $teps are ongoing financial literacy programs designed to assist women in becoming economically empowered through awareness, education and support.  Common Cents uses a practical everyday approach to making the most of money. Based on the SEDI (Social Enterprise Development Innovation) curriculum, this program walks participants through the topics of: Exploring our Relationship with Money, Budgeting, Savings, Banking, Consumerism, Credit / credit Cards, Debt, Credit Bureau/Credit Scores, and Investing Basics.

Baby $teps is an education savings initiative supported by the Government of Canada and delivered by YWCA Moncton in partnership with YWCA Halifax and is delivered via small group sessions or individually depending upon the needs of the participant.  This program’s goal is to help participants save for their child’s post-secondary education and access the many benefits available in RESPs through education savings incentives, such as free grants of $500.

Women on the Move is a six-week foundations course for women interested in exploring new career paths.  This program, which will be offered in the fall of 2011, will focus on defining a clear career vision with a tangible plan mapping out the various steps needed to achieve that goal.  This program will give participants the opportunity to examine their own interests and aptitudes while having a first-hand opportunity to visit education and pre-employability centres in the Greater Moncton Area.  By creating an opportunity to investigate and plan, women will be confident in selecting a career path that fits their individual preferences and needs.

The YWCA Moncton’s Family Law Information and Support and Rainbows are also part of the services offered at the Women’s Success Centre.