Pivoting in a Pandemic: YWCA’s Economic Resilience

We all know that COVID-19 has had major effects on economic advancement locally, including adding new hurdles for organizations dedicated to serving low-income families within the region. Hear from Mike Schwartz and Mina Amin of YWCA Seattle-King County-Snohomish County on challenges their organization has encountered and mitigated since the start of the pandemic, as well as their present Economic Advancement programs. Also, gain a better understanding of YWCA’s pillars of service and how their local program sites, such as the Greenbridge Learning Center and Seola Gardens Tech Center in Seattle have innovated and adapted to continue to support the community they serve.

After the program, network with colleagues and raise a virtual cup of “Zoom Nog” with the WA RIMS Board as we approach the holiday season from 12:30pm-1:00pm.

In the spirit of good tidings & cheer, we would be grateful for your support in giving back during the holidays through a virtual In-Kind Drive supporting Greenbridge Learning Center families.

You can donate in two different ways:

Purchase items from an Amazon Wishlist. Items include:
- Winter clothing: jackets, sweaters, winter hats, gloves, coats, boots, warm scarfs, socks, umbrellas, raincoats etc. You can select different sizes S-M-L-XL (Adults/Youth/Kids) – all are welcome and appreciated.
- First month on the job kits to get clients by until they received their first paycheck: Gas cards, water bottle/coffee mug, flash drive, small sanitizer bottles, notebooks/organizer
- Gift cards
Purchase the following items directly and ship to YWCA Greenbridge Learning Center/WorkSource Connection, 9720 8^th Ave SW, Seattle WA, 98106
- Gift cards (food/gas): Safeway, Fred Meyer, Target, and Gas cards
- Christmas toys for girls and boys aged 5-18

Tax receipt: The attached YWCA In-Kind form is your tax receipt and way for the YWCA to track your donations. Please complete and email to Janis Evans (jevans@ywcaworks.org) so we can keep track of what RIMS WA members contribute to the In-Kind Drive! YWCA also appreciates photos of donated products with your email.

We would appreciate your support of this important community program even if you are unable to attend the event on December 7^th.

Our Speakers:

Mike Schwartz, Director of Economic Empowerment - YWCA
Mike Schwartz oversees the YWCA’s career development and economic advancement programs, including WorkSource Downtown Seattle, Greenbridge Learning Center, Community Jobs, Femme2STEM, the Homeless Employment Project, the BankWork$ and CareerWork$ Ready programs, and the YWCA Economic Resilience Initiative, among others. Mike has presented on workforce development topics at the Western Washington Regional Re-entry Conference, the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless Conference, the Basic Food Employment & Training Institute, and for King County’s WorkSource system. He serves on the board of directors for ANEW (Apprenticeship and Non-traditional Employment for Women) and Renton Technical College and has led system change-focused workgroups and committees for the Seattle Regional Workforce Partnership, Building Changes, and the Workforce Development Council. Mike is passionate about creating and developing programs that use a trauma-informed care and human-centered design approach, and work to reduce racial disparities and increase racial and gender equity. Mike spends his free time hiking, reading, drawing, and embracing the rain-soaked weather and wild spaces of the Pacific Northwest.
Mina Amin, Program Director - YWCA
Mina Amin is the Program Director for YWCA Greenbridge Learning Center and WorkSource Connection site. She started working in 1989 with the Private Industry Council at Park Lake Homes Career Development Center. YWCA joined and stared to lead this partnership with King County Housing Authority in 1990. Mina motivation and success is due to her personal desire to work within a diverse community and help people furthest from most opportunities. In her free time (if she gets any) she enjoys listening to music and walking around her community.