Watch Wicked at Cinema Center for a good cause

Universal Pictures' Wicked might be the most anticipated film of the holiday season, and Cinema Center in Downtown Fort Wayne might be the best place to watch it. 

For the first two weeks of screenings, the local arthouse theatre is partnering with YWCA Northeast Indiana to collect donations of new-with-tag slippers (bonus if they’re ruby) and other clothing to benefit families at the Y’s domestic violence center and addiction recovery programs. As a thank you, everyone who donates gets a free bag of Cinema Center’s wickedly good popcorn.

You might remember: Last year, Cinema Center hosted a similar benefit for the Barbie film and collected more than 400 dolls for YWCA. We attended and loved seeing the community come out (in Barbie gear) with dolls to donate. It also struck us how watching films at Cinema Center provides a more intimate moviegoing experience, where audiences react to films with cheers and laughter. Associate Executive Director at Cinema Center, Alix Watson, says: Expect a similar vibe at Wicked screenings, which begin Nov. 21.

“It’s opening the week before Thanksgiving, so it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season,” she says. “The second weekend of Wicked is Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, too, so if you’re out getting presents, grab something to bring to Cinema Center for YWCA.” 

We sat down with Cinema Center Directors, Watson and Art Herbig, as well as YWCA's Engagement Coordinator, Emily McCorkle, to talk about community needs they’re serving this holiday season.

What items is YWCA collecting at Cinema Center?

EM: This year, we’re collecting house slippers to stay on theme with Wicked (ruby slippers). We’re also collecting any new-with-tags clothing, shoes or linens (bedsheets, etc.) people want to donate. All items will go directly to the clients we serve at YWCA, who stay in our domestic violence center, as well as those participating in our addiction recovery programs. 

A lot of times, folks are coming through our doors with only a trash bag of their belongings – if anything. People aren’t thinking about bringing multiple changes of clothing or bedsheets when they’re fleeing violence, so we supply them with clothes, shoes, coats – whatever they need for whatever season it might be. Then, when they leave our center, they get to keep all of the items they receive while they’re here, so it’s a way for them to start fresh in a new place. Essentially, we’re looking for new, season-appropriate items for all sizes and ages, from newborns to adults and the elderly.

How many people participate in YWCA’s domestic violence center and addiction recovery programs? 

EM: In our domestic violence center, we have 169 beds, and we’re at full capacity right now. At any given time, we have about that many women and children staying with us – sometimes more. At one time, we had a family with seven kids in one room together, so our numbers fluctuate from 169-190. At our center, we serve people of any gender, too. 

Our addiction recovery program is about 30 women at a time, and it’s six to nine months in length. Participants can bring children with them, so we see newborns up to teens there, as well. 

Based on YWCA’s observations, what factors are affecting domestic violence in Fort Wayne?

EM: A lot of people we serve vocalize that they can’t leave a domestic violence situation because housing is unaffordable. It’s challenging to afford housing even when you have a partner, so it’s really difficult to find a safe, affordable place to live for someone fleeing a violent situation, and oftentimes, they stay because they don’t have another option.

Has the need for domestic violence services increased recently?

EM: We have seen an increase in demand for domestic violence services in recent years. In May, YWCA’s domestic violence center moved into a new building. In our former facility on Decatur Road, our capacity was under 90 people, but we serve six counties, and we were constantly full. So we moved into the old Don Hall’s Guest House building this year and almost doubled our occupancy. But again, we’re already full, so there is a huge need. There’s no way we could have enough beds to fill the need ourselves, sadly, but we’re doing our best.

What can people do if they can’t attend a film screening to donate?

EM: Visit our website, and we have a page on how you can help or donate money and items. If you’re wanting to donate slippers or clothing directly to YWCA, contact me first at emccorkle@ywcanein.org, so we can arrange a time for you to drop off items. Because we operate a domestic violence center, we need to arrange all public drop offs ahead of time.

Last but not least, what made Cinema Center want to get involved and support YWCA?

AH: Ultimately, there are a lot of places you can go see a movie and a lot of movies you can see, but if you can pair your entertainment with the ability to help people, that’s an incredible thing. We have a growing challenge with people facing homelessness in Fort Wayne, and if we can make their lives better in any way, we believe it’s important to do that. As a community, we can bring people together in a way that makes people’s lives better.

What other events is Cinema Center hosting this holiday season?

AW: Our team saw a few other local places doing craft nights, so we decided to start hosting our own cozy Craft Nights at Cinema Center once a month. For these showings, we’ll be in a less formal setting in our Spectator Lounge, and we’ll keep the lights on, so you can see while you work. BYO your crafts – knitting, crochet, anything that’s not too messy! In November, we’re showing the 2006 holiday classic, like The Holiday (Nov. 15-17). In mid-December, we’re also celebrating the 40th anniversary of Gremlins, which is another go-to holiday film for some folks.