When Samira was sixteen years old, she found out she was pregnant. “I was so scared,” she told me. Her older sister was also early in her own pregnancy, and it was not lost on Samira how differently the sisters’ news was received because of Samira’s young age. “My family thought I wasn’t going to get as much help as I’d planned, that I would drop out of school, and things would just be so terrible for me. But I actually ended up graduating early.”

This was no small feat, and Samira’s success was made possible by a whole community of people. Samira’s mom was the one to first help her look for resources for pregnant teenagers in the Des Moines area, and they found the Young Women’s Resource Center. Founded in 1978 with the belief that every girl deserves a life of possibilities, the YWRC has spent the last nearly four decades achieving its mission of supporting, educating, and advocating for girls and young women ages ten to twenty-one, empowering them to be strong, self-confident, and resilient.

Samara with her daughter, nephew and baby son.

Through a wide variety of programs tailored to fit each individual’s unique needs, the YWRC serves over 2,000 participants in daytime, evening, and summer programs with the overall goal of teaching healthy, resilient decision-making.

The Empowerment Program provides small groups and individual therapy to help young women improve their self-esteem, develop healthy relationships, and understand reproductive health. The Young Moms program, which Samira joined, supports teen mothers and their children through education on how to achieve a healthy pregnancy, parenting skills, self-sufficiency, and the importance of education. All of the programming at the YWRC fosters community involvement, positive thinking, setting goals, self-care, stress management, building communication skills, and finding a sense of purpose.

The organization employs fifteen full-time staff members who are all trained in trauma-informed care, and facilitators utilize evidence-based curriculum. All programs are provided at no cost with free transportation and meals or snacks available for on-site groups. In order to reach underprivileged and underserved young women in the greater Des Moines area, the YWRC intentionally partners with schools, teachers, counselors, success workers, and other agencies. Their clients are often survivors of trauma, assault, abuse, or mental illness, which have a significant and long-term impact on the mental health and overall wellbeing of the women in our community. The current COVID-19 pandemic is escalating destructive conditions at home, so it is critical that the YWRC is able to ensure continued programming and support to those participants who are at the highest risk.

For Samira, it was the Young Moms program alleviated the burden of young motherhood, supporting her throughout her pregnancy, the birth of her daughter, Aya, and ever since. “I really like our group. When I was pregnant, they gave me a lot of information about what would happen when I gave birth, and I never knew a lot of that,” she says. “I ended up having to get a C-section, but I wasn’t scared because I was prepared. They were also very supportive during recovery, always checking in to see how I was doing.” In addition, her group helped her figure out her sleep schedules, how to coordinate school and work with a new baby, even how to find daycare.

Samira says one of the best things the YWRC did was advocate for her when the medical team at the hospital was not giving her all of the information she wanted. Doctors often overlook their younger patients, particularly during delivery, making it very difficult to navigate while in a vulnerable position. To Samira, the whole experience seemed very transactional and impersonal. Since then, she has switched hospitals, thanks to the support of her peers and mentors at YWRC.

In order to finish high school, Samira had to complete her last credits after her baby was born. She woke up at 6 AM every day to take the bus (along with her stroller and baby) to school. She graduated months ahead of time, finishing school in February, but walked the stage in May with the rest of her class. “I was sobbing, I was so relieved,” she recalls. “It was so hard but I am so glad I did it.”

One of the cornerstones of the YWRC’s curriculum is teaching resilience, which is a key factor in determining the success of each participant. Samira recognizes her own resiliency through her ability to go with the flow. “Sometimes things get really overwhelming, but I just have to take it one day at a time. I can try to control the situations by my decisions and actions. When I found out I was pregnant with my second child, my son Asaiah, I was excited but it had been a while. It felt good to go back to my pregnancy group and relearn all that information.”

There were a lot of cute baby kisses happening!

But this time, of course, was a little bit different. “I was glad they offered me a doula because it was in March, during the pandemic, and I wasn’t allowed any family in the room during the birth.” This time around, the consistent support and advocacy provided by the YWRC made all the difference in what felt to Samara like a whole different experience.

The YWRC continues to be an asset to Samira’s family. “If I run out of things for the baby, they’re the first ones to tell me that they can get these things for me as soon as possible.”

“The Young Women’s Resource Center is going to support you, they’re going to be your advocate for a lot of things. Especially if you’re pregnant and going through school, or if there’s something you want to do, they will find ways for you to be able to do it. If you’re scared, or if you’re speaking up for something, they will stand behind you.”

Join the Ivory House Photography team in support this amazing mission. We will be holding fifty $100 Headshots, giving away $10 from each of these session fees. In addition to this, we will be giving $5 from every additional extra file purchased from your session.

Get on the waiting list to be the first to know when the sign ups go live on Sept 8th at noon!

Be the first to know!