Advocacy

At the YWCA of Alliance, we are strong advocates for senior nutrition, and we are proud to be a Meals on Wheels provider.

All too often, seniors in our community have trouble meeting nutritional benchmarks. They can no longer prepare meals themselves or do not have transportation means to obtain a nutritious meal.

This is where Meals on Wheels comes into play. Volunteers deliver meals to seniors in the community, and the seniors not only receive a nutritious meal, but companionship as well.

We serve multiple routes throughout Alliance and neighboring Sebring and Beloit, as well as two congregate dining sites in Alliance. All of our meals are tailored to a geriatric diet and dietician-approved. For our congregate dining sites, the meals are chef prepared in-house at the YWCA of Alliance.

Funding for Meals on Wheels programs are being cut nationwide. Maintaining current funding isn’t acceptable and won’t allow us to reach all of the seniors who need our help. We are therefore counting on all of you to call on Congress to #SaveLunch. Every senior deserves a nutritious meal, and this is a small way to help with something for which we advocate so strongly.

At the YWCA of Alliance, we are strong advocates for women’s rights, both on a local and national scale. The mission statement of the YWCA is “dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. We strive to meet this mission everyday.

Here at the YWCA of Alliance, one way that we support women is by offering transitional housing. This program is aimed at helping women get back on their feet and make the transition to permanent housing.

We also like to collaborate with local organizations to empower women. For example, we host our annual Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event for domestic violence awareness each October.

As we are passionate advocates for women’s rights, we continually track bills on a state-level. Examples of these bills, include, but are not limited to, maternal and infant health, feminine hygiene products, boutique services, and equal pay.

We are also strong advocates for non-discrimination. The YWCA’s mission statement advocates for social justice for everyone. We have been on the forefront of major historical events, and we plan to do so for years to come.

We advocate for non-discrimination through the YWCA’s national programs, along with things we implement in our own community. According to the YWCA USA’S website, their racial justice campaign, known as “Until Justice Just Is,” focuses on confronting systemic racism to empower all women The theme this year is Building Bridges to Equity and focuses on bodily autonomy, women’s financial empowerment/caregiving, gun violence, and transportation.

Here at the YWCA of Alliance, we advocate for non-discrimination in our own community as well. We host an annual Unity Walk to combat racism and empower women to live up to the organization’s mission statement. We also continually track house bills since we believe this advocacy is at the core of our organization.