YWCA McLean County has received a grant to implement the YWCA Strive program for the local Bloomington-Normal community as part of Google.org’s $5 million-dollar commitment to YWCA USA. YWCA McLean County is proud to be a member of the inaugural cohort of grantees at 12 local associations in eight states that are using the grant to…
A Survivor Story
*Names have been changed. Ronald and Megan Green* are pedophiles. They are child rapists, voyeurs, sadists, and master manipulators who have used their money to buy children and silence families and victims for many years. In the 1970’s and 1980’s, they would have weekly card games in their basement that would turn into orgies involving…
YWCA McLean County adds Strive, a professional development program
YWCA McLean County has launched a free professional development program for residents of McLean County: YWCA Strive. YW Strive is designed to help participants who face employment or underemployment barriers and will develop the professional habits and skills that are most sought after by local employers. Upon completion of the program, participants will receive a…
Navigating COVID-19 Conversations with Your Family
When life hands us COVID-19, we’re supposed to make lemonade, right? Growing up, I remember when Y2K was the thing. At the time, everyone thought computers would shut down, so my parents stocked up on toilet paper, canned food, and water. I remember feeling scared and really confused about what was happening. My parents did…
Coming into Focus: A Labyrinth Story
Life isn’t always great. And for some, it is less than great. Twenty-six-year-old Ashley knows this better than most. While she dreams of travel and being a photographer, she is also dealing with the reality of life after incarceration and addiction. Ashley grew up quickly and with a lot of heartaches. She bounced around from…
An Open Letter to the Men in our Community
If you are a man who felt uncomfortable because you haven’t had to think about this topic before, good. We felt uncomfortable, too. If we felt uncomfortable reading the posts, imagine how uncomfortable women and trans people may have felt both during the assault and when they wrote and read other posts. We cannot allow our discomfort to keep us in a place of inaction. Inaction is unacceptable.
YWCA Young Wonders Reduces Rates, Offers Scholarships for School-Age eLearning Full-day Care
In the tradition of YWCA adapting to community needs, we have come together with area businesses and private donors to provide free and significantly reduced rates during eLearning during the first semester of the school year in an effort to stem the anxiety parents may be feeling with virtual public education. Private pay tuition has…
Easy as Uno, Dos, Tres: Breaking Barriers with the help of the Spanish Grant
Imagine a classroom full of children. The walls lined with maps and number lines, mats with vibrant colors, and kids playing with puzzles. In walks Ms. Maribel, the Spanish teacher at YWCA McLean County. The kids jump up all excited to see Ms. Maribel. She greets the children with a big smile saying, “Hola!” The…
YWCA Young Wonders Needs Your Help!
More than 600 children annually are served through YWCA Young Wonders Early Learning and Youth Development. In order to continue reaching and expand access for all children, YWCA needs the community’s help to steer success in purchasing two new buses for YWCA Young Wonders. YWCA Transportation serves children from all corners of our community–east to…
YWCA McLean County receives grant to support Senior Volunteer service
YWCA McLean County has received a Senior Corps RSVP grant of $65,633, from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service. This award will ensure the continuation of YWCA RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) in McLean County. “We are grateful for another three years of support from CNCS,”…
YWCA Young Wonders Kitchen is Open!
YWCA Young Wonders celebrated the completion of their commercial kitchen upgrade with a ribbon-cutting and public open house on October 18, 2019. In 2018 YWCA was awarded a $20,511 grant from the Lowe’s Gives Foundation to improve nutrition and classroom experiences for students who attend Young Wonders. YWCA Young Wonders serves students six weeks to…
Long-time employee, Liz German, named CEO
The Board of Directors of YWCA McLean County announced the hiring of Liz German as CEO/President of the organization. German was named interim CEO in June of last year. Prior to becoming interim CEO, German held the role of vice president of operations for YWCA McLean County for four years. She has served the YWCA…
YWCA adds Anti-Bias Education to local schools thanks to grant from Illinois Prairie Community Foundation
With the help from Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, YWCA adds anti-bias training to local schools
YWCA MCLEAN COUNTY BLOG 