YWCA’s August Advocacy Week of Action and In-District Lobby Day (August 4-8)
Beloved Community,
YWCA Madison is proud to be a part of a nation-wide movement 160 years in the making. Building on this legacy, we are choosing to stand together with our YWCA sibling associations as ONE YWCA to disrupt deeply entrenched gender and racial injustice and build a world filled with life-affirming pathways to promote peace, justice, and dignity for all. From August 4 to August 8, 2025, YWCA Madison will be participating in YWCA’s August Advocacy Week of Action and In-District Lobby Days. Together, we will ensure that those we elected to represent us in the government know the depth of our impact and the real lives behind the programs we are protecting.
Why This Moment Matters
Our mission, and the programs that support it in housing, economic empowerment, and restorative justice, cannot thrive without strong, consistent federal support. Yet, harmful policy proposals threaten essential services that are critical supports to the community we serve:
Housing and support programs for women and children impacted by domestic and sexual violence
Residential shelters for those experiencing homelessness
Affordable housing for marginalized populations, including seniors, people with disabilities, and formerly incarcerated individuals
Federal rental assistance programs funded through HUD (Section 8 vouchers, public housing, HOME, CDBG)
Access to child care subsidies and early learning grants
Without federal funding and protection of eligibility and service access, these vital services risk being undercut at a time when need is growing.
This week, together with YWCA associations across Wisconsin, we will be meeting with elected officials to share powerful stories about the impact of our work on the lives of the people we serve. We will also be posting on social media to show how federal funding supports our community directly and provide concrete ways that you can demonstrate your support.
What We’re Asking Congress to Do
Through this week of collective action, we invite you to join us. This is our moment to stand united and tell Congress:
HOLD THE LINE: Defend the funding streams that sustain these programs.
OPPOSE HARMFUL CHANGES: Say NO to policy changes that freeze or cut dollars and restrict who can receive services.
COMMIT TO MEANINGFUL FUNDING: Fully invest in programs that communities rely on every day.
We don’t take this work lightly, and we will continue to stand rooted in our mission and values as the 118-year-old organization that we are. This moment is shaped not only by the waves of structural violence crashing upon us, but also by the growing possibility of deepening our solidarity practices with one another. In this spirit, we are calling on our elected officials and our broader community to meet this moment with us, not because it’s easy, but because it matters.
With love and dignity,
Gery Paredes Vásquez
