February 15, 2019
We are pleased to provide the following updates:
Announcing Quarterly Trainings for 2019
We’ve released our 2019 calendar of training sessions for our YWCA 101 and Governance Fundamentals webinars. YWCA 101 is a functional overview of YWCA USA and local associations, and it is a great way to onboard new staff and volunteers to the wider YWCA network beyond association walls. Governance Fundamentals is a session designed for board members of YWCAs, showcasing resources and best practices for governance. Both of these session are offered each quarter and we encourage local associations to share them with staff and volunteers. Governance Fundamentals also offers evening sessions to accommodate board member schedules. Visit the 2019 Quarterly Trainings intranet page for more information and a list of webinar dates.
Stand Against Racism 2019
We are excited to open registration today for YWCAs only (public registration will be announced later this month), and to unveil an updated web platform! This year, our theme is Stand Against Racism: No Hate. No Fear. Immigrant justice is racial justice. As civil and human rights continue to be eroded for immigrant communities and people of color, we stand united in solidarity with all immigrants and communities of color facing the very real threat of racist and xenophobic attacks.
Our new campaign website prompts you to first create an organization profile; once you register, you’ll be able to log-in to the website and access a digital toolkit, create an event(s), and edit your profile. We will be adding more items to the digital toolkit over the coming weeks, so be sure to check back for updates! If you have any questions, please contact Tiffany Wang, digital communications coordinator.
Health & Wellness Network Call
The next Health & Wellness Network quarterly call is on Thursday, February 21 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Our special guests for this meeting will be from USA Ultimate. YWCA USA has Multi-Sport Organization status from the U.S. Olympic Committee, and this upcoming call is part of our USOC/MSO resources series, which is aimed at helping YWCAs leverage this relationship to enhance their program and service offerings. Learn more about joining this Adobe Connect conference call.
Support and Celebrate the FAMILY Act Introduction!
On February 12th, the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). The FAMILY Act would establish a federal program to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for workers who need time away to bond with a new child, care for a seriously ill family member, or treat their own serious illness. Join YWCA in celebrating this exciting bill introduction and ACT NOW to urge your Members of Congress to co-sponsor this bill!
VAWA in Budget Deal
This week, Congress passed legislation to fund the government and avoid another federal government shutdown. Unfortunately, VAWA was not extended as part of that package. This means that VAWA will officially expire at midnight tonight, Friday, February 15. This will not be the first time VAWA has expired. When VAWA needed to be reauthorized in 2011, Congress allowed it to remain expired for nearly a year and a half until agreement was reached to support Tribal, LGBTQ+, and immigrant survivors. In practical terms, nothing changes for YWCA associations or victim services when VAWA expires. The legal protections in VAWA don’t expire and grant dollars should not be affected. To learn more, read this statement from the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF).
YWCA USA continues to work hard to get VAWA reauthorized to add improvements to the law, such as added housing protections, increased prevention funding, continued protections for vulnerable populations, and economic justice provisions, and will keep you updated as to any changes in the status of the legislation.
Bring Volleyball to Your Community with USAV’s Resources
Check out how your YWCA can use your gym space, engage children you serve, and expand physical literacy through volleyball in your community. USA Volleyball has an expansive collection of free and low-cost resources for grassroots volleyball development. Learn about volleyball best practices and find out how you can involve youth at daycare, in middle school, and even as a part of family competition through USA Volleyball’s youth best practices. If you have a volleyball team or program, find out about your Regional Volleyball Association and join USA Volleyball. To learn more about how to bring Volleyball to your community -- or you have an awesome idea about a resource you want to see -- you can email John Kessel at john.kessel@usav.org.
Network Meetings
Our next network meetings will take place on April 3-4 in Atlanta and April 9-10 in Salt Lake City. Both meetings will start at 2:00 p.m. the first day and conclude by 4:00 p.m. the second day. Local associations can choose to attend either meeting. These meetings will focus on the implementation of the YWCA Strategic Business Plan. More details and registration information will be available next week.
Important Dates
Questions about what you read today? Contact communications@ywca.org.
#WeeklyWrap-up#NationalCommunications