YWCA of Northwest Louisiana held its 8th annual Women Who Care, Share luncheon on August 15 at Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino. This event is a chance for community members to gather and hear from an empowered speaker, while also learning about the progress of the YWCA. The luncheon theme is “Empowered Women Empowering Women,” and keynote speaker Jacque Jovic of KTAL certainly delivered an inspiring speech. Through sharing anecdotes about her life, Jacque described how she’s maneuvered difficult transitions in her life, and how her belief in herself is what helped her move forward. Her speech was moving, and her words reminded us that we can accomplish what we set our minds to, even if it seems impossible at times. She ended her speech with a reminder of how powerful our voices are, especially as we look ahead to the upcoming election.
The YWCA also presented the second Woman Who Cares Award to Vivian Andrews to honor her years of hard work and dedication to the community and being an example of the YWCA mission statement to empower women and eliminate racism.
There were around 200 attendees, including Mayor Tom Arceneaux delivering greetings and Sonja Bailes acting as emcee and moderator for the interactive audience Q&A with Jacque Jovic.
Guests took part in a raffle with prizes donated Cuban Liquor, Superior Steakhouse, Superior Grill, and more!
In 2023, the YWCA served over 2,000 girls, women, and community members. The luncheon is a celebration of successes that have come from the YWCA’s various programs, such as Senior Advocacy, LEAD (teen girl empowerment), Restart (professional development), and Nurturing Parenting. The YWCA is dedicated to offering a holistic support network for women and teenage girls navigating systemic life challenges – including trauma, bullying, teen pregnancy, poverty, crime, and racial injustice.
The YWCA’s programs are in place to offer support for those individuals, and the proceeds from the luncheon directly benefit their Women’s Resource Center.
Photography credits to Leslie Whitaker
