Happy Pride Month!

At YWCA, we are committed to empowering and supporting all members of our community. This Pride Month, we honor the resilience, strength, and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community. Our mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all is deeply interconnected with the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights.

Join us this month in celebrating Pride by participating in local events, volunteering your time, and standing in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ friends and family. Together, we can create a more inclusive, equitable world where everyone is free to be their true selves.

Celebrating Community Generosity

We are thrilled to share the incredible success of YWCA's Circle fundraiser held on May 16, 2024. Thanks to the overwhelming support from our community, we achieved record-breaking participation, raising over $5,000 from the raffle alone!

A highlight of the afternoon was presenting the 2024 WINGS awardees with their scholarships, celebrating their outstanding work and dedication to our community. We were also delighted to honor Pat Grogg with the Norene G. Ball Community Partner of the Year award. As a wonderful surprise, Pat was also the lucky raffle winner of the stunning Center of My World Diamond Bracelet, generously donated by Bremer Jewelry.

Your generosity and commitment make our mission possible. Thank you for standing with us to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Together, we can make a profound difference in McLean County.

A big THANK YOU to the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation Sapphire Sky Wind Fund for granting $2,150 to YWCA Young Wonders Summer Camp! These funds will be used to provide classroom supplies and fun activities, ensuring our campers have an enriching and unforgettable summer experience. We appreciate your generous support!

Operation Kudos

From exceptional teamwork to outstanding innovation, we're proud to shine a light on our employees who go above and beyond:

Bridgette Stanciel (Young Wonders) was nominated for several things, including her work in helping the Young Wonders team cook and manage the childcare kitchen.

Find us at B-N's Juneteenth Celebration

Join us at the Bloomington-Normal Juneteenth Celebration! YWCA is excited to participate in this important event, celebrating freedom, heritage, and community. Be sure to stop by Labyrinth Made Goods' booth where we will be showcasing their incredible product line, handcrafted with care. We look forward to connecting with you and celebrating together!

June 22, 2024 | 11:00 am - 4:00 pm | Miller Park, Bloomington

Upcoming Building Closures

Our lower level visitors' entrance will remain closed as we do some updates on our building. Please use the Young Wonders entrance on the upper level during this time.

Employee Spotlight:

Hannah Mesouani, PhD

Director, Mission & Equity Consulting

Talk to us about what you do and how you help advance the mission of YWCA. 

I have the pleasure of doing DEI and change management education. I get to support a range of community members as they navigate the interpersonal and systemic challenges that are caused by discrimination in its many forms. I love getting to meet new folks and highlight that our mission and DEI work in general serves us all, no matter how we identify. It's a privilege getting to meet so many community members and create opportunities for connection and understanding.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone who just started their career?

Stick to your values and take time to get to know the values of others. Work can sometimes feel like an uphill battle (alarm clocks! to-do lists! inflation!) but it's also a chance to connect with others and connect with yourself in ways that fill your cup and pour into others. Find trusted mentors and peers that you can lean on and remember that not all conflict is a bad thing as long as you remember you're on the same team.

What’s a misconception about what you do that you’d like to dispel?

DEI is not a fight nor is it a zero-sum game. Equity work is about honoring each others' worth and taking the time to listen to each other stories with empathy and an understanding that someone's life and values, no matter how new or different to your own, are just as valuable as your own. Though DEI conversations are often politicized as fractious, I think they're the perfect chance for learning, unlearning, and coming together. 

What do you love most about your job?

I get to be a professional nerd and learn about so many things so that I can develop custom presentations for a diverse range of community members. I love getting to meet people, find points of commonality, and see the world through their eyes as a reminder that just because we all experience life a little differently, that doesn't mean that we can't all live well together.

Its Pride month! Any words of wisdom or support for our LGBTQIA+ community?

Familyyyyyy! It's our time 🌈 ✨I love being queer and I love my queer family the world over. While so many aspects of our live are challenged and the persecution is so real, our lives and loves are beautiful and sacred. Remember that you know you better than anyone else does and that though there are plenty of trolls under their little bridges of judgement, our community of queer folks and allies is strong and we are in this together. Cheers to being proud the whole year and standing firm in our own skin.  

What’s been most rewarding about your current role?

I feel like I've learned and grown so much as a content expert, presenter, and all-around human being. Every day is a little bit different and I'm proud to be doing this work and creating positive changes for marginalized folks in whatever small ways I can.