Bay Area Women's Center

Home
United States
Bay City, MI
Bay Area Women's Center

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

The mission of the Bay Area Women’s Center is to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault.

10/25/2026

“Why don’t they just leave?”

This question can be harmful to survivors, as it places them in the center of the blame for the violence they have endured. The reality is that domestic violence is often not a one-time event. It can follow a repeating pattern designed to maintain power and control, making it difficult and dangerous for survivors to leave.

The Cycle of Abuse can include periods of tension, abuse, apologies, and temporary calm that create confusion, fear, and false hope. This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, let's become advocates for the survivors who feel trapped. Let's show support, trust, and compassion for those seeking to secure safety for their family.

📚 Read the article: https://www.domesticshelters.org/articles/identifying-abuse/what-is-the-cycle-of-abuse

Awareness saves lives. Compassion changes lives.

10/22/2026

Today, we had a visit from one of our favorite nonprofit partners, Hidden Harvest!

Dakota stopped by while on his Bay City route to pick up a gift basket donation we had prepared for Hidden Harvest. While here, we received some of the good food he had in the back of the truck to put it to good use with our shelter residents. We love when we can share resources with nonprofit friends!

10/16/2026

Many of us have been touched by domestic violence in our lives in some form. Maybe you are a survivor or someone you know is. Perhaps you have witnessed violence in a public space. Maybe you just want to do something to make a difference. We invite you to join us as a peer fundraiser this Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

We recognize that Survivors Are Everywhere. 💜 We all have a story. Those stories carry power when we share them and invite conversation about domestic violence. By raising awareness, we shift power from the abusers back to survivors.

As a peer fundraiser, you help spread awareness and raise dollars for the survivors in our community. We ask for a $25 donation to start, and we will mail you an awareness button and any other tips and materials you may need. Each fundraiser has the goal of $567 to honor the 567 survivors supported by BAWC last year.

Signing up is easy, but you can contact Lindsay with any questions at [email protected] or 989-686-2251 and she can send you our "Fundraiser Guide."

🔗Visit www.bawc-mi.org/DVAM to learn more.

10/13/2026

Thank you to Tri-Star Trust for hosting a learning opportunity for nonprofits in our region! We're excited to learn today how to improve our fundraising strategies. As we face significant funding decreases in our government grants, this opportunity is incredibly timely.

Our donors and community supporters are so important, and we want to ensure you see the impact of your investment. Today, we hope to get a kickstart in that area.

10/12/2026

We enjoyed hosting a group of volunteers from Wildfire Credit Union this morning to complete some lingering projects around the agency! The team constructed a picnic table, toddler swing set, and playhouse for use in our shelter playground area. The boxes with these items have been lingering around our office for months now, and we are excited that our residents will now be able to benefit from the new, fun items!

10/09/2026

It's been a week since Power of the Purse, and we are beyond grateful for all the support that made the event possible. A whole crew of folks came together to create the fun event we all enjoyed. We love working with our food and entertainment vendors, and we hope you enjoyed them at the event (and continue to patronize them in the community!)

Thank you to our event planning committee for working hard all year to put this event together:
Susan Bumgarner
Sam Derocher
Rebecca Emmenecker
Mackenzie Harrison
Tammy Holsworth
Azurah Karl
Lynn Shawl
Cody Strope

Thank you for creating delicious food:
5-2-oh
Chick-fil-A Bay City
Fat Matt's BBQ
Bay Valley Resort & Conference Center
Krzysiak House Restaurant
Parlor Doughnuts
River Rock Cafe
Riverfront Grille Restaurant & Lounge

Thank you for bringing the fun:
Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra
Hair by Rachel Lee
Janilee Rinz
Readings by Bry
Marianna of Gypsies
Readings with Holly

Thank you local florists for making the "flower bar" a reality:
Memories by Candlelight & The Petal Boutique
Austin's Florist & Gifts
Keit's Flower Shop of Bay City
Blooms Boutique and Floral

All the royalty who made the event special:
Miss Bay County Organization Katelyn
Miss Bay County Teen Bayleigh
Miss Mid Michigan Volunteer Samantha
America's Civic Miss Junior Teen Kensie

10/08/2026

Come out to Old Town Distillery and take a walk in one version of a survivor's shoes.

10/07/2026

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recognize that Survivors Are Everywhere.

We don't just mean statistically either. The numbers are powerful, but we want you to look a little further. Think about the friends in your circle, the coworkers you've had, the people you engage with at the grocery store. It's possible that one of their lives has been impacted by domestic violence. Or maybe you are a survivor. We see you, and we are here for you.

We are asking you as a cherished supporter and community advocate for survivors to step up this month as a peer fundraiser. Through the Survivors Are Everywhere campaign, you can set up your own fundraising page to share with your networks. Our goal is that each fundraiser can reach $567 to recognize the 567 survivors who utilized BAWC's programs last year.

There is power in your story, whether that is one of support or of surviving. Join us this October to create a lasting impact in the lives of survivors in your community.

Visit www.bawc-mi.org/DVAM to learn more.

10/05/2026

There are many hands that put together a fundraising special event like Power of the Purse, and today we want to thank the generous sponsors who make this event possible. Without them, we wouldn't be able to raise critical dollars to support the free-of-charge services at BAWC.

We're still tallying our total dollars raised, so stay tuned for that announcement!

Title Sponsor: Dow Credit Union

Program Sponsor: Wirt Stone Docks/Edw C Levy

Checkout Sponsor: UA Local 85

Diamond Clutch Sponsors:
Dave Friebe CFP, Thrivent Financial
Garber Chevrolet Linwood / Garber Ford Bay City
Labadie Auto Company
HYMMCO
J.R. Heineman & Sons
Victoria & Doug Wirt

Emerald Tote Sponsors:
Aird Insurance Group- Farm Bureau Insurance
Rotary Club of Bay City
Goddeyne Plumbing Heating
McLaren Bay Region
Sunrise Family Credit Union
United Bay Community Credit Union

And our many Sapphire Satchel and Ruby Wallet Sponsors!

10/02/2026

We had so much fun hosting a "Garden Party" for this year's Power of the Purse! So much fun, in fact, that we forgot to take pictures 🙃 Don't worry, we had a photographer at the event, and we can't wait to see and share her photos. For now, please enjoy this post from our dear friends at Labadie!

We have many people to thank for making this lovely evening possible, but that will come after a night of rest. For now, thank you to our community. To all the people who show up each and every day for survivors, thank you. We could not lift up survivors and provide them the space to heal and own their strength if not for you, our generous and caring community. 💜

Address

Bay City, MI
48706

Telephone

+19896864551

Website

http://www.bawc-mi.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Bay Area Women's Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Bay Area Women's Center:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Bay City?