LOCAL YWCA LEADER VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO SUPPORT LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON BEHALF OF WOMEN

YWCA President Lisa McDuffie was among hundreds of YWCA leaders from across the country who met in Washington, D.C., earlier this month at the YWCA-USA national convention. Among planned activities were meetings with Senate and House staff members to discuss legislative actions that affect women and children.Issues that YWCA leaders discussed with legislative staff members focused on the importance of and the need for additional funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Continuum of Care program (COC), which coordinates housing and services for homeless families and individuals, including survivors of domestic violence.YWCA leaders also stressed the importance of programs to end gender-based violence. Among those federal programs are the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which provides compensation for such things as medical costs or lost wages; and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). FVPSA provides funding to state, tribes, and coalitions to provide safe housing, crisis response, advocacy, legal assistance, counseling, safety planning, and support groups.