Due to the ever-evolving scenarios of the Coronavirus,

ONYA has cancelled its fundraising events for 2020.

We hope to see you all again in 2021!

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A special thank you for your donations to ONYA during this time.

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2019 Bud To Bloom a Success - Thank you!

The Board of Directors of the Ontario/Yates Fund for Women and Girls (ONYA) would like to thank the 183 attendees and supporters of our 7th annual Bud to Bloom luncheon at Sonnenberg Gardens on June 1, 2019.  The work we do to further economic self-sufficiency for women and girls in our two counties would not be possible without your generosity. We extend a special thank you to our honorary co-chairs, Deborah Wilbur and Jenny Goodemote.

Those attending the luncheon were treated to a presentation from Nancy Wiley, an internationally acclaimed artist who maintains a studio and shop, True Lily, in downtown Canandaigua.    

It is always heartening to see how our community responds when there is a need.  Thank you to everyone who attended Bud to Bloom, and to those who continue to support our efforts. 

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A big thank you to Peter Blackwood, who took all of the lovely photos at the Bud to Bloom luncheon.  The photos are available at no charge at:  ONYA Bud to Bloom 2019 Event Photos

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Legal Assistance

Helping Single Parent Families

Get in touch today and get involved in our cause.

ONYA Grants

Strengthening Our Community

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Since 2003, ONYA has awarded over $311,000 to 

30 different agencies, for 83 programs, that have impacted the lives of over 6,000 women and girls in Ontario and Yates Counties. 

Volunteering

Make A True Change

Support our efforts by volunteering to help with an event or a committee (Marketing/Communications, Grant Making, Donations/Fundraising, Finance, Bud to Bloom) or the Board of Directors.

Our organization relies heavily on the  involvement of people like you. Won't you help us help others in our community.

Would you like to get involved? There are many ways of contributing to our causes at ONYA - Ontario/Yates Fund for Women and Girls.

The Ontario Yates Fund for Women (ONYA) is seeking proposals from not for profit 501 (c)(3) organizations for programs serving women and girls in Ontario and Yates Counties. The Fund is an independent fund-raising and grant making community organization which funds programs that have a positive impact on the economic and social status of women and girls.

All grant requests received will be screened for completeness and to assure that they meet ONYA’s criteria; a site visit by an ONYA Grant Committee representative may also be requested prior to the awarding of the grants. Grant requests must be received by September 1st of any year for consideration for that year’s grant cycle. Grants will be awarded in the fall for the following year’s program funding. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of our review by October 1st.

The 2020 application period (for 2021 grants) is now open.

2020 ONYA Grants

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Since its inception, ONYA has awarded over $336,000 to 31 agencies, for 86 programs, that have impacted the lives of over 7,000 women and girls in Ontario and Yates Counties.

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As ONYA marks its 20th year of service, our Board of Directors is proud to announce the grant recipients for 2020.  ONYA’s mission is to inspire and advance philanthropy to foster personal and economic self-sufficiency among women and girls in Ontario and Yates counties. Each year ONYA gives grants to non-profit groups that support this mission. The seven recipients selected for 2020 were chosen from a group of twelve submissions. 

Our generous donors have enabled us to fund the following programs this year:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters - will recruit, train and match adult female mentors with at-risk, underserved girls to help support their educational success and personal growth through one-on-one relationships. 

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• Child & Family Resource Center - will provide trauma-based parenting classes to incarcerated mothers and mothers-to-be and will provide support to the grandmothers taking care of their children. 

• Family Hope Center - will offer a program called Courageous Beauty, a weekly support group for girls aged 11 to 18.  It will teach them about healthy relationships, sexual risk avoidance, and self-worth.  Its goal is to reduce or eliminate risky behaviors. 

• Geneva Reads - will provide books and establish book clubs and other programs to introduce Latino women and their daughters to the importance and pleasure of reading.  The goal of this program is to increase bilingual home libraries and reading proficiency in the Hispanic community. 

• Habitat for Humanity - will use its grant to support the Women Build program, which recruits, educates, and empowers women to build and advocate for affordable housing, while increasing their own skills and self-sufficiency. 

• Safe Harbors of the Finger Lakes - will incorporate a Trauma-Informed Yoga for Youth program into its support groups.  This will help abused teen girls improve their focus, reduce stress, and self-regulate their behaviors. 

• The Living Well - will provide Back to School Bags that include personal hygiene supplies to help young women be healthier and more self-confident. 

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Summary 2019 Final Grant Reports

Child & Family Resource Center:  Family Resiliency Project 

35 moms (all residing at the Ontario County Jail) and 2 grandmothers (one from Geneva and one from Canandaigua) participated in this program which taught them how to help their children self-regulate while also taking care of themselves in the process.  24 sessions were held with the moms but due to the low attendance by grandmothers, only 6 sessions were held with them.

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Comments from an incarcerated mother:

"It's been very nice to have Dawn teach me these skill lessons and to

catch up on things.  It's good to see a familiar face and helps when

going through some difficult times of my own.  I'm looking forward to

working at practicing the "Bounce" and "FLIP IT!" strategies first hand

with my children, as often as possible plus as sooner than later, that

I'll be "home" to do so....."

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Comments from a grandmother caring for grandchildren:

"I have tried some things I learned on grandson and it has helped out."

Family Hope Center:  Courageous Beauty  

There were 83 Courageous Beauty groups hosted in 2019 with 361 girls participating – 119 between the ages of 11-15 and 242 between the ages of 15-19.  Participants indicated that they enjoy talking about healthy relationships and self-worth topics and are finding the information relevant and helpful in building self-confidence and managing relationships in their lives. Some comments from participants: 

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“Courageous Beauty is a safe place for me. It’s somewhere I can go to have deep conversations. I have loved the topics we have talked about. It has really helped me find my opinions on things.”

“A fun and welcoming place for conversation on prevalent topics and open discussion among peers.”

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“Courageous Beauty is a blessing to my life. It has provided a chance for me to grow and make strong friendships. I have found healthy support and guidance from loving individuals. Our discussions are highly informative and easy to engage in. I hate to think of what I would’ve become without this group.”

Geneva Reads:  Book Distribution & Reading Advocacy  

Geneva Reads is a primary source of children’s books – especially bilingual books – for the city’s low-income population.  In 2019, 375 children in grades K-6 registered for summer school and 3,750 books were distributed there.  2,078 books were distributed through Geneva Reads at WIC program.

• Free Summer Slide Book Fair.

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• Book Distribution/Encouraging Parents to Read Aloud, included the ongoing                                     programs: Healthy Readers (book distribution at well -child visits) and the                                            annual Welcome to Kindergarten book given at kindergarten screening, where                                           our director and volunteers talk to moms about the importance of reading to                                         children and setting an example by reading themselves; Ready to Read,                                            through which children receive 20 books a year while at                                                                         Head Start, Agri-Business Child Development Center or                                                                     Universal Pre-K.

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• Early Book Distribution, through: Geneva Reads at WIC                                                                        (where children choose books, and moms can get advice on                                                                   fitting reading into their schedule and how to have fun with                                                                         it); Early Intervention, through which  books and                                                                            educational toys are provided, the tools that help moms                                                                          give their children the best start; Teen Moms book and toy                                                                           distribution, which included conversations with the                                                                           expectant mothers. 

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• Increased Access, through: 13 free bookshelves around                                                                                 the city; Random Acts for Reading; Project Sweet Sleep,                                                                     through which we provide a book, a blanket, a bag and a stuffed buddy for each homeless child served by Family Promise of Ontario County; participation in the local  Farmers’ Market, Downtown Business Improvement District’s Cruisin’ Night, FLCC’s STEAM camp, Geneva Historical Society’s biannual Farm Heritage Day, Geneva City Recreation Department’s Egg Hunt and Touch a Truck events, Lyceum Heights Neighborhood’s Halloween Pumpkin Roll, our annual Book Fest, YMCA’s annual Health Day. 

Participant Comments:

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• “We use much less TV.  My children learn English. We enjoyed the bilingual books best.”

• “(My son) really wants to be read to.  His brother loves reading to him and is a 2nd grader.  He has learned a lot from the books.”

• “Bedtime reading is a regular occurrence in our household.  Having educational and engaging books are an asset to my children’s development.”

• “Geneva Reads has provided many books in our home that our children love to read.  My daughter has struggled with speech the books have helped tremendously!”

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The Partnership:  Community Awareness of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

• A digital campaign called “Baby Safe” was established to educate women, specifically those pregnant, about the risks associated with over-the-counter, prescription and opioid medication on both the mom and the baby.  The campaign had over 95,000 impressions and over 550 check- throughs to the landing page. graphic designer has been tapped and potential messages as well as existing resources are being discussed.​

Safe Harbors:  Anti-Trafficking Project   

• The girls who participate in the Not a #Number  learn how to protect                                           themselves from human trafficking and exploitation.  Specifically, the                                                   curricula is presented in 5 separate day segments and offers                                                           information and exercises regarding healthy boundaries, healthy                                                           relationships and what sexual exploitation is.  There is a pamphlet                                                             for Loved Ones which is important information for parents to know                                                       about the scope of this program for their kids.

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• Geneva, Midlakes, Dundee, Penn Yan, Canandaigua and the Finger Lakes Secondary School received the Not a #Number curriculum and have implemented it within their health classes.  491 girls ages 12-16 have completed the entire curriculum or have received some sort of trafficking/exploitation prevention programming.  There was such an overwhelming response from schools wanting to participate that in December two additional staff were trained to help in 2020.

• The grant has also assisted with the development of pocket guides for the kids.

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• “I never knew this was something that could happen here but I have friends who have talked to people online who have asked for inappropriate pictures before.  I never knew there was a name for it.”

Wood Library:  Suffrage History Tour 

• The girls who participated in the program toured the Susan B. Anthony House and in an activity were encouraged to choose a topic of dissent and create posters, a chant and a short speech to present to the group.  After lunch they visited Mt. Hope Cemetery and learned about the important embers of the suffrage movement in Rochester.  Books about the suffrage movement and the importance of voting were added to the library collection.

• Some comments from the students:

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“My favorite part was going to Susan B Anthony's house and seeing the                                               rooms in which the Women's Rights Movement began.” -Grace S (Senior)

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“Going into Susan's house and learning more about her.”                                                                             -Chris T (Sophomore)

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“My favorite was the graves and learning the meaning behind them.                                                      Also, creating our own protest.” - Kaitlin M (Junior)

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“I really enjoyed the house and the cemetery. I want to see more.”-Deliliah R (Freshman)

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“Walking through the cemetery, and learning about everyone involved with the women's rights movement.”-Wilson B (Senior)

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“I loved Mount Hope Cemetery. It was nice to learn about other people helping in the Women’s Rights Movement.”-Teagan A (Senior)

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Contact ONYA - Ontario/Yates Fund for Women and Girls