glam.spoon: fashion blog

Dress for Success Seattle at the YWCA Inspire Luncheon

The YWCA's 2012 Inspire Luncheons are underway! The first event featured the talented and charming Academy Award winner, Helen Hunt at Meydenbauer Center on March 15th. She shared very personal stories of the joy and challenges of raising a strong daughter. I still remember the luncheon I attended a couple of years ago with Gloria Steinem as the speaker. Talk about inspired.

The YWCA hosts 3 of these events each year, and the next one is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24th at the Washington State Convention Center with guest speaker Sheryl WuDunn, co-author of Half the Sky. If you have some time, watch the online video of her Ted Talk. It's an inspiring 18 minutes.

On behalf of Dress for Success and the YWCA, I encourage you to attend the event if you're so inclined, by registering to sit at the Dress for Success table. Dress for Success Seattle is a wonderful organization that helps women trying to get back on their feet and into the workforce. I've been supporting them for years through the Girls Gone Glam events and the Closet Treasures Sale. We all know how important it is to feel that you look your best and feel confident when interviewing for a job that could change your life. 

What: YWCA Inspire Luncheon, Seattle. Learn how the YWCA impacts women and families in our community.

When: Tuesday, April 24^th, 2012 from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Washington State Convention Center

Program: In addition to client stories, enjoy a presentation by co-author of Half the Sky, Sheryl WuDunn along with other supporters of Dress for Success Seattle.

Cost: Suggested minimum donation of $150 per person, lunch included.

If you would like to attend the event, please send an email to Shauna Aron, Event Coordinator for Dress For Success Seattle, who will assist you with registration.

2012 Inspire Luncheon with Helen Hunt

If you follow my blog you know that I've been volunteering with the YWCA since December. All my efforts in the development office have contributed to the main fundraising event(s) of the year, and on March 15th, the first of three Inspire Luncheons took place at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Thanks to our fearless leader, Jackie, the event went off without a hitch.

The centerpieces used on all the tables were baskets, donated by The Container Store, filled with useful personal and household products, donated by Bartell Drug Stores, then wrapped in mylar and tied with a ribbon at the top. The centerpieces will be used for display during the luncheons and then give to the YWCA's clients. I personally made over 200 of those tri-colored ribbons and participated in a work party to get 250 baskets put together. It was quite the operation!

We set the tables at Meydenbauer Center the night before the event, and everything came together nicely to create a warm, colorful ambiance.

Ms. Hunt was charming and funny, and shared very personal stories with the crowd. She described her heritage of strong, independent women and admitted that when she tells her young daughter she is a strong woman, it's mostly brainwashing. 

The luncheons have been happening for over 20 years now, but if you've never been to one, I highly recommend it. From the client stories to the guest speaker to the amazing energy in the room, you will be inspired.

You have two more opportunities this year! The Seattle Inspire Luncheon takes place on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at the Washington State Convention Center with guest speaker, Sheryl WuDunn, Co-author of Half the Sky. There is a third and final luncheon on the year that happens in Snohomish County on Thursday, May 10, 2012 at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in Everett with guest speaker, Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist.

The event tallied up just over $500,000 raised for the YWCA's programs that day!

2012 YWCA Inspire Luncheons

One of the main reasons I chose the YWCA to make a volunteer commitment this year was the Inspire Luncheons. These annual luncheons have brought acclaimed speakers to the Pacific Northwest to raise awareness of women's issues while attracting hundreds of YWCA supporters. I attended the 2010 Seattle Luncheon with Gloria Steinem and was so inspired myself, I wanted to be a part of it.  This year, the one and only Helen Hunt will be headlining the series on Thursday, March 15th at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. 

The funds raised by the three luncheons will go toward the Women Empowered Campaign. In December 2009, the YWCA Board launched a 3-year $26.5 million community campaign, called the Women Empowered (WE) Campaign. At this point 65% of the goal has been reached, but with 35% left to go with only one year, it's gonna be close. Please consider attending one, two or all three luncheons. Sheryl WuDunn will speak at the Washington State Convention Center on Tuesday, April 24th, and Ellen Goodman will present at the final luncheon on Thursday, May 10th at the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in Snohomish County.

If you would like to get involved with the planning of the luncheons, you can contact the YWCA Volunteer Services Department by emailing Samantha Tripoli, stripoli@ywcaworks.org.

To become a table captain for any of the three luncheons, email luncheon@ywcaworks.org or sign up here.