Walk around any suburban neighborhood these days, and you’ll see lawn signs that say “We support our essential workers! We’re all in this together.” However, are we making good on that promise?
The coronavirus pandemic has heightened systemic social injustices and women are overrepresented in many of the fields most affected—education, health care, food and hospitality. These are also the fields likely to take the longest to recover.
At the same time, many women are also earning lower wages, yet are on the frontlines of this crisis. These essential workers often put themselves at risk just by going to work each day, while others work safely from home.
But without the grocery store clerk who stocks the shelves with items we need, where would we be? Without the home health aide who cares for our elderly family members when we can’t, where would we be? Without the nurse who cares for patients during the day and stays in our YWCA emergency shelter at night, where would we be? The Covid-19 crisis makes us all vulnerable—and maybe also helps us recognize our connection, and that we all need each other.
Each year at our YWomen Leadership Celebration, YWCA Evanston/North Shore recognizes and celebrates women leaders in our community for their commitment to women’s advancement and racial justice. Each year, the films about their lives lift us up and inspire us to do just a little bit more in our own lives.
This year, because of the pandemic, we are not having a YWomen Celebration. However, we still honor and celebrate the power and resilience of women in our community, and we hope you will too by giving to the YWomen2020 campaign. During the month of September, we are trying to raise $150,000 for YWCA Domestic Violence Services and Women’s Leadership and Economic Advancement programs.
These programs provide safety, support services, financial education, mentoring, job training, and housing assistance for women— essential tools that women need to build self-sufficient lives.
- YWCA job training programs, YWCulinary and YWeb, help women gain the skills they need for in-demand jobs. (Watch video here about YWCulinary)
- YWCA soft skills training and basic money management classes help women learn how to interview, meet prospective employers with confidence, and get hired for jobs that offer financial security and stability.
- YWCA domestic violence services including emergency shelter, counseling, court advocacy, and longer-term housing to help women recover from abuse and trauma.
YWCA Evanston/North Shore programs empower women, support women and give women the tools they need to build better futures for themselves and their families. You can help.
Please give today at bit.ly/GiveYWomen (http://weblink.donorperfect.com/Better). You can support YWCA and the women we serve by making a gift that will help vulnerable women and their families.
