YWCA Empowering Women presents: 𝐁𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐁𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, a talk coming to you at our YWCA HeART Beats!
Join us for an empowering and transformative seminar with Ms Gabrielle Loh and Dr Geraldine Tan, where we explore the dynamic intersection of personal branding and mental wellness. This event is your opportunity to gain the tools, insights, and inspiration needed to elevate your personal brand while nurturing your mental well-being.
📍 YWCA Fort Canning , Hope and Faith Room Level 3
📅 24th August 2024, Saturday
⏰ 9:15am to 11:30am
💵 $30 (incl. goodie bag and refreshments)
Hurry! Seats are limited! Click here to register now!
Empowering Mums 8 (EM8)
Empowering Mums is coming back for its eighth run in November! The newly revamped EM8 programme will feature 6-weekly sessions from 8 November to 14 December 2024.
With the continued support from constant and new content providers and programmes sponsors, the mothers will guided through a journey with skills-based workshops and facilitated group work sessions. These sessions seek to enable the mothers’ self-discovery and empower them to find employment and thrive emotionally and socially.
EM8 Nov 2024 – Dec 2024 Programme Schedule
The programme schedule is as follows:
|
Date & Time |
Programme |
Content Partner |
|
8 November 2024 (Fri) 6 pm – 9.30 pm |
EM8 Launch Dinner: Finding your Strengths Session, Programme Briefing & Graduates’ Sharing |
Ms Josephine Ong from R&D Education and Training, YWCA, EM Graduates |
|
16 November 2024 (Sat), 9 am – 1 pm |
YWCA *Group Work Session & Reality of Job Hunting Workshop |
YWCA, Ms Livia Lee from Top Employers Institute |
|
23 November 2024 (Sat) 9 am – 1 pm |
YWCA Group Work Session & Resume Writing Workshop |
YWCA, Barbara Crane |
|
30 November 2024 (Sat), 9 am – 1 pm |
YWCA Group Work Session & Dress with Success Workshop |
YWCA, Image Mission |
|
7 December 2024 (Sat) 9 am – 1 pm |
YWCA Group Work Session & Interview Skills Coaching Workshop |
YWCA, Image Mission |
|
14 December 2024 (Sat) 9 am – 3 pm |
EM8 Makeover & Graduation Ceremony |
YWCA, Makeover Partners & Communality Partners. |
*Comprises of socioemotional group learning of skills and concepts such as self-esteem, positive reframing, growth mindset, emotional regulation, etc.
Venues: YWCA Fort Canning, 6 Fort Canning Road S179494 & YWCA National Office, 254 Outram Road, S169051
Childminding support (for children above 2 years old) is offered for participating mothers who need it throughout the 6 weeks.
Further Support
Mothers can look forward to invitation to career fairs and access to employment opportunities with YWCA, Chye Thiam Maintenance and many more. Additionally, mothers can also join us for other upskilling programmes (e.g., digital literacy) and journey with a group of like-minded women who come from similar backgrounds in our continuous support group – Empowering Circles – initiative that is led by mothers for mothers.
Registration
To register for EM8, please click here to check the eligibility criteria and registration process. You can also access our application form here.
Special Thanks
YWCA can continue its goal of serving mothers from marginalised backgrounds through the Empowering Mums programme due to the generous contributions of our sponsors. We are also deeply thankful to our new and returning content providers who are graciously contributing their time and expertise to equip and enable mothers to realise their potential and improve their employability.
YWCA would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the donor behind the Bamboo Lotus Fund for supporting our women empowerment efforts.
Project Sponsors:
Content Partners:
Metropolitan YMCA, YMCA of Singapore, YWCA of Singapore, in partnership with SG Enable, launch Y+ to better serve persons with disabilities and their caregivers
Singapore, 7 June 2024 – Metropolitan YMCA (MYMCA), YMCA of Singapore (YMCA), YWCA of Singapore (YWCA) , and SG Enable , jointly announce the launch of Y+, a pioneering collaborative community engagement initiative for persons with disabilities and their caregivers. For the first time ever, MYMCA, YMCA, and YWCA are joining forces to launch this initiative to serve and impact persons with disabilities and their caregivers. This unprecedented collaboration unites the strengths and resources of each Association to foster inclusion, support, and meaningful engagement within the community. It heralds the start of collaborative efforts to find new ways to serve and impact persons with disabilities and their caregivers.
Y+ brings together the collective expertise and resources of the 3Ys with the support of SG Enable to offer more community-based options for persons with disabilities after they graduate from school beyond the traditional services such as Day Activity Centres and Sheltered Workshops in centre-based settings. The initiative will empower persons with disabilities and their caregivers to be more fully integrated within the community.
The Y+ collaboration aims to roll out innovative community solutions that support persons with disabilities and their caregivers during the critical transition from SPED (Special Education) schools to employment and community integration. Initiatives such as Y Crops @ Metropolitan YMCA, Y Dance @ YMCA of Singapore and Y Wellness Weave @ YWCA (see Annex A) are pilot programmes that demonstrate the collaborative efforts to meaningfully engage persons with disabilities through urban farming, dancing and craft-making. The end goal is foster a sense of community, inclusion and therapeutic interactions.
“This historic collaboration exemplifies our Associations’ unwavering dedication to building a community of care and support for persons with disabilities. More importantly, this initiative establishes a visionary framework to create a vibrant, inclusive ecosystem where they thrive and find meaningful opportunities throughout their adulthood,” said Ms Grace Chan, Group CEO of Metropolitan YMCA. “We are honoured that Y Crops @ MYMCA is part of this united effort of enhancing the quality of life for persons with disabilities by prioritising their emotional and mental well-being – allowing them to lead fulfilling lives with dignity,” she added.
General Secretary & CEO of YMCA of Singapore, Ms Wu Mei Ling, commented, “The YMCA of Singapore’s mission is to serve and impact all members of the community regardless of race, language, or religion. By collaborating with Metropolitan YMCA and YWCA of Singapore, guided by SG Enable, we would be able to amplify our mission to serve more members of the community through more touchpoints and programmes for PWDs and their caregivers. Through this collaboration, we hope to build an ecosystem of seamless support consisting of our members, volunteers, partners, PWDs and their caregivers.”
YWCA’s Executive Director, Ms Ong Puay See said,” As a women’s charity, YWCA is keenly aware of the stresses and burdens that the mothers carry when caring for their child. YWCA is happy to be able to support the disability community by providing respite care for caregivers through the Y Wellness Weaving programme. Over the longer term, we welcome more mums who are keen to take up the artisan craft of weaving to join our Weaving enterprise.”
Aligned with its mission of creating equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities through impactful partnerships, SG Enable supports the three Associations through funding, connecting them to expertise and resources, and fostering knowledge exchange.
“Together with the 3Ys, we are sewing a tapestry of support, weaving together opportunities for independence, inclusion, and connection. This collaboration reflects SG Enable’s commitment to fostering impactful partnerships and innovative solutions to benefit persons with disabilities and their caregivers.,” said Ku Geok Boon, CEO of SG Enable.
-End-
Annex A: Y+ Pilot Programmes
Y Crops @ Metropolitan YMCA
Y Crops @ Metropolitan YMCA was established to harness the potential of MYMCA’s inaugural organic vegetable farm in addressing the challenges faced by persons with disabilities as they transition beyond the age of 18. This unique community outreach program offers them the opportunity to engage in activities outside their homes, promoting social interaction and mental stimulation. Aiming to enhance social mobility and character development, Y Crops provides hands-on exposure to sustainable farming practices as a therapeutic activity for both persons with disabilities and their caregivers. This initiative represents a collaborative effort between Metropolitan YMCA and Club LITE of YMCA Singapore that officially launched in February 2024. Since its inception, Y Crops has engaged 15 persons with disabilities and 15 caregivers in a series of six sessions, where participants participated in seeding and harvesting the organic vegetables.
Metropolitan YMCA, through SG Enable’s training Place-and-Train Programme, a programme to encourage employers to provide job and training opportunities to persons with disabilities. Employee Isaac Thomas Komatt, 26, was able to explore his vocational interest and acquired relevant skills to conduct the Y Crops programme for Club LITE members.
Y Dance @ YMCA of Singapore
YMCA of Singapore is committed to supporting PWDs and their caregivers through Y Dance, which provides a platform for engagement through dance. Beyond just physical activity, dancing offers a unique avenue for creative expression, particularly beneficial for those who may struggle with verbal communication. By immersing themselves in the rhythm and movement, participants can discover new ways to express themselves and find joy in the process. This not only enhances their emotional well-being but also fosters social interaction and self-discovery. For caregivers, Y Dance offers an opportunity to connect with their children and form bonds with other caregivers in a fun environment, nurturing a supportive and compassionate community.
YMCA Club LITE, through the Enabling Lives Initiative Grant managed by SG Enable and funded by Tote Board, to engage persons with disabilities who have graduated from Special Education schools but are not in employment or adult disability care services. The programme enhances confidence for independent living through life-skills training and meaningful engagement during the transition to employment or adult disability care services.
Y Wellness Weave @ YWCA of Singapore
With the Y Wellness Weave programme, YWCA of Singapore offers a quiet sanctuary at its Weaving Studio where persons with disabilities and caregivers can find respite through the therapeutic art of weaving. More than just a craft, weaving helps promote mental wellness and allows an avenue for creative self-expression. The craft is easy to pick up, with no mistakes to be made or rules to follow. Each weaving session is facilitated by YWCA’s beneficiary mothers, who are themselves symbols of resilience. Besides providing respite care for caregivers, Y Wellness Weave aims to foster a sense of community and belonging where caregivers can come together in a safe and supportive environment. Persons with disabilities and caregivers who are keen to undertake flexi-work, can also sign up for training and join the YWCA Weaving Enterprise.
YWCA through the Caregiver Empowerment Fund for ground-up initiatives that empower caregivers of persons with disabilities to better care for their care recipients and themselves, to promote sustained engagement of caregivers with increased access to resources and social networks, as well as improved well-being.
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🫶This Mother’s Day at Café Lodge, mum dines free for every 3 paying adults at our popular Porridge Buffet. On top of this, we are also giving away a complimentary steamed fish (~500g)!
😋Come and enjoy a tantalizing spread of dishes like pork trotters, chilli lala with mantou, fresh cold prawns, braised duck, squid, condiments, desserts and many more.
Don’t miss out and make your reservations today!
🥰All our net proceeds go towards YWCA’s community service programmes so your support will also be a blessing others in need.
For more information, please contact Café Lodge
Sun-Thurs: 7.00am to 9.00pm
Fri, Sat & Eve of Public Holidays: 7.00am to 10.00pm
Phone: 6335 8008 / 8009
Email: ywcacafe@ywca.org.sg
WhatsApp: https://wa.me/message/5X7JYFKZAMHXN1