By Yanique Bundick, 9th Grader, YWCA Brooklyn LEAD Participant Being a first-generation Haitian American woman, I grew up in a culture and society that constantly reminded that I have to be a “lady” at all times – and most times that meant being seen and not heard. Being part of YWCA Brooklyn has taught me… Continue Reading My Voice Matters—The Importance of Fighting for Change
Last week, YWCA USA, YWCA Lincoln, and YWCA Lower Cape Fear joined nearly half a million Black women in all their beauty and diversity in New Orleans for the largest ever Essence Festival. We were thrilled to launch a partnership with Essence’s Path to Power activation to highlight the important work our YWCAs do across the country to empower women,… Continue Reading Not a Moment, but a Movement: YWCA’s Impact at Essence Fest 2018
By Dominique Cravins, student, YWCA USA Mission Impact intern Growing up, my parents instilled in me the history and importance of voting. My parents lovingly explained that voting was a great responsibility, as women and minorities were not always allowed to vote. Understanding this history, impacted and shaped the way I viewed the right to… Continue Reading #YourVoteMatters: The Importance of the Ballot
On Saturday, June 30, YWCA and many other organizations will be gathering in Washington, D.C. and communities across the country to say that families belong together and free – and to demand that this administration reunite families immediately and end family separation and detention. We encourage you to join us and hundreds of thousands of… Continue Reading Families Belong Together and Free
“Donde esta mi mamita? Donde esta mi tia? Dile que me portare bien.” “Where is my mommy? Where is my aunt? Tell her I’ll be good!” By Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO, YWCA USA Be deeply troubled by the mishandling of children. For trauma, by definition, may prevent them from remembering everything, but their God-blessed bodies… Continue Reading Families Belong Together: Stop Traumatizing Children
Just last week, YWCA USA hosted our biennial Leadership & Capacity Building Institute (LCBI) conference in San Antonio, Texas, welcoming over two hundred YWCA leaders from across the country for four days of trainings, panel discussions, and more. Together, we focused on engaging and addressing some of the many critical issues that define YWCA health,… Continue Reading A Look Back at Our 2018 Leadership & Capacity Building Institute
By Debbie Johnson, Development Coordinator, YWCA New Hampshire I recently had to have a hard conversation with my ten-year-old daughter. She was working on an “Images of Greatness” project for her Key Club and chose to profile Coco Chanel. During her research, she discovered that Coco was rumored to be a Nazi sympathizer. She could… Continue Reading The Time Is Now To Talk About White Privilege
By Sarah Wolf-Knight, YWCA Dayton Grants & Advocacy Manager I was lucky enough to be chosen as a delegate to the 2018 United State of Women Summit (USOW) with support from YWCA USA. As I sat through the speaking presentations at USOW, I was struck by the level of representation achieved in the room. Truly, any… Continue Reading Smash Every Glass Ceiling: Reflections on USOW
By Joan Ryan, Women’s Wellness Manager, YWCA Alaska It was Saturday, May 5th, at 6:30 in the morning when I joined the different YWCA delegates at the lobby of the Hotel Figueroa in Los Angeles. It was as great start because I was so glad to meet other YWCA leaders from around the country, including… Continue Reading My Time at USOW 2018
By Desiré Bennett, Advocacy Manager, YWCA Greater Cincinnati I stealthily slipped into the cavernous Shrine Auditorium about 20 minutes before it flooded with hordes of more than 6,000 other anxious women and girls (and some men) eager to score good seats. The auditorium was abuzz with stage hands, sound technicians, and musical talent running a… Continue Reading It Starts with US!