Blogs

June 29, 2018

Our thoughts and prayers are with the YWCA Annapolis and Anne Arundel County and the city of Annapolis as they deal with yesterday's tragic shooting at the Capital Gazette. YWCA Annapolis and Anne Arundel County CEO, Molly Knipe, reports they are safe. The YWCA is offering trauma counseling and has waived the fees. They are working with the Governor's Office and Crisis Response.

Families Belong Together Rally

On Saturday, June 30, YWCA and many other organizations will be gathering in Washington, D.C. (and in communities around the country) to say that #FamiliesBelongTogether and free – and demanding that this administration reunite families immediately and end family separation and detention. To support your efforts, please feel free to use our updated internal talking points and rally signs! Check out our latest blog post on this issue.

YWCA USA & Hispanic Heritage Foundation at McAllen Texas

YWCA USA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation led a delegation of advocates to McAllen, Texas, on June 27 and 28, in support of refugee and immigrant families and children. The group met with Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley; hosted a vigil at the Ursula Detention Facility, and more. You can read more about the trip in the press release.

Congressional Briefing

After their trip to McAllen, Texas, YWCA USA, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and a number of organizational supporters, will be leading a congressional briefing today, June 29, to share insights, concerns and perspectives about the unfolding humanitarian crisis gleaned from their experiences at the border, and identify actions that are needed to address the crisis and to keep this tragedy from happening again.

Thank You For Taking Action to Protect Immigrant Families – Keep the Pressure Up!

In the past two weeks, the House has voted down two anti-immigrant bills, H.R. 4760 and H.R. 6136. Thank you to everyone who joined us in taking action against these harmful bills! You can keep the pressure up to protect immigrant families by asking Attorney General Sessions to revoke his decision in the Matter of A-B-. Urge your member of Congress to protect and defend domestic violence victims and reject the Attorney General's decision, and sign Tahirih Justice Center's online petition.

Support the Reauthorization of FVPSA

Bipartisan legislation has just been introduced in the House and the Senate to reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA)! Tell your Members of Congress that you care about funding for programs that serve victims and survivors of family, domestic, and dating violence. Act today!

Governance Resources

YWCA USA has launched a governance page. This page will be updated regularly with resources and services to support YWCA staff and board members. Be sure to activate your free membership with BoardSource and take advantage of the Board Chair Onboarding service offered by member services. The Governance Fundamentals webinar is available on demand with a live version offered again in October.

Reminder: FY2019 Meeting Support Fee Due

You should each have received an individualized link to access your forms and to upload your finished information. All information should be submitted by Friday, July 13. If you need help in this process, contact supportfees@ywca.org or your DMS.

Coming Soon: The 2018 Self-Assessment

Please keep an eye out for the 2018 Self-Assessment, which is in the final stages for distribution on July 9. Register now for an overview webinar on July 11 at 2 p.m. ET. This year, the process will be completed in netFORUM, our new database. The survey, document upload, and board member entry should be completed by each association by September 7.

New LCBI Photos

Two weeks ago, we connected, engaged, and collaborated with people at our 2018 LCBI Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Our amazing LCBI photographer, Vanessa Velazquez has sent us more photos, and we have uploaded many of them to our Flickr. Check them out!

Important Dates:

• July 9 at 3 p.m. ET: Money Monday: Diversifying Your Donors. Register now.
• July 18: deadline for ordering YWCA 160th limited edition silk scarves
• July 31 at 1 p.m. ET: YWCA 101, an introductory webinar to YWCA USA
• August 1: Allstate Purple Purse Challenge application deadline
• August 2 & 3: Northeast and Southeast Network Meeting at the Annapolis Westin Hotel. Register now.
• August 8: In-District Advocacy Day

Questions about what you read today? Contact communications@ywca.org.