Category: Securing Atlanta’s Future

YWCA of Greater Atlanta Continuing to lead Conversations about Race One might wonder why YWCA of Greater Atlanta wishes to become the leading site for Conversations about Race, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The guiding principles of YWCA beckon us to engage in activities that seek to eliminate racism and empower women and promote peace, justice, […]

By Damian Ramsey Imagine winning the lottery and refusing to redeem your ticket. You would leave potentially life-changing sums of money on the table. In a sense, that is what happens when high school graduates do not complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Each year, thousands of students fail to complete the […]

Brittany Collins, Director, PAACT You have likely heard or used the phrase, “let’s make a pact.” You may have said it to your kids, a friend, or your neighbor. A pact is a promise, a commitment to something that is important to you. In Atlanta, PAACT is the promise of something big… PAACT: Promise All […]

Right now, your friends, your neighbors, and maybe members of your own families are facing decisions about going back to work, changing jobs or even leaving the workforce altogether as they struggle with child care challenges. Studies have shown that this issue is impacting women’s participation in the workforce at an alarming pace. Child care […]

By Dr. Darrell Hall, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Alumnus, Rockdale County Board Member  I stepped into my first Boys & Girls Club at the age of 6.  My mother needed a safe and affordable place for me to go after school while she worked to take care of me and my younger […]

Blythe Keeler Robinson, President and CEO, Sheltering Arms It has been a year and a few months since the pandemic hit, and families with little to no resources, including here in Atlanta and the state of Georgia, are still trying to recover. Some of the most vulnerable Sheltering Arms families continue to rely on us […]

By Rebecca Parshall Do you remember your 8th grade math class? Was learning math easy for you, or did you struggle? Did that class prepare you for high school math? How did your parents and teachers make you feel about math? For too many adults, both the middle school years and math class evoke painful […]

Americans, especially Black Americans will come together this week for the annual festivities recognizing Juneteenth.   For anyone who may not know by now, Juneteenth is an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and has been celebrated by African-Americans since the late 1800s. On June 19, 1865, enslaved African-Americans in […]

By Simon H. Bloom, Esq. | Board Chair, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta It all started with a spark of passion. It was 1998. Brand new to Atlanta, brand new to the practice of law, and brand new to “adulthood,” I found myself seated at a table with Atlanta business leaders in Centennial Park.  […]

Last week, families with infants and toddlers from every state met with their members of Congress to encourage them to prioritize the needs of young children for the national Strolling Thunder, led by ZERO TO THREE.   Kristen Johnson, a working mother of two young children from Duluth, represented the state of Georgia. She is a […]

By Rebecca Parshall, Senior Program Officer, Learn4Life A bold, new commitment to literacy for all its children is underway in Marietta. The goal of Literacy and Justice for All is to eradicate illiteracy by investing in the science of reading from birth through 3rd grade. Literacy and Justice for All partners are working to ensure […]

Blythe Keeler Robinson President and CEO, Sheltering Arms “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin Our nation continues to grapple with racism or the unfair treatment of people of a different race.  Over the last month, we saw the serving of food to white children […]

By Mindy Binderman Georgia is still just getting started when it comes to making progress for our infants and toddlers.  That’s according to a ZERO TO THREE, whose latest State of Babies Yearbook: 2021 report shows while Georgia has made progress in supporting young children in our state, we still have a good deal of […]

Since 1984, YWCA of Greater Atlanta has recognized the amazing accomplishments of women in Atlanta at our annual Salute To Women of Achievement event. Over the course of the past 37 years, we paid homage to women who broke glass ceilings, who support this community in countless ways and who align with our mission to […]

By David Jernigan, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta For many companies and organizations, the past year has provoked critical conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and inspired many to take necessary steps to address systemic racism.  While the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) has been advocating […]

By Mindy Binderman, Executive Director, GEEARS The American Rescue Plan of 2021, signed into law by President Biden earlier his month, includes critical and historic measures to reduce childhood poverty, support struggling families, ensure child and caregiver health and well-being, stabilize the child care industry, and expand access to child care for working families.  The pandemic has taken a significant toll on American families, […]

By Ken Zeff, Ed.D., Executive Director, Learn4Life There has been rising apprehension in Georgia about the role of standardized testing in public education. This tension burst into open conflict between policymakers debating whether these tests should be given at all this year. The US Department of Education has now decided assessments will happen this spring, […]

Since the start of the pandemic, parents and caretakers have struggled to balance the demands of working, parenting, and the education of their children. GEEARS and its initiative PAACT: Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive have worked throughout these challenging times to help families cope with the realities of raising young children. In the fall of […]

Blythe Keeler Robinson, President and CEO, Sheltering Arms During the month of February, Sheltering Arms kicked off our Race & Equity initiative. The year 2020 was less than ideal with one tragedy after another. There was a racial reckoning, which moved the vast majority of decent Americans to protest against institutional racism in America. When […]

Earlier this year, GEEARS hosted Georgia’s fourth annual Strolling Thunder. In partnership with ZERO TO THREE, this special event brought together infants, toddlers, and their families to urge policymakers to make the needs of Georgia’s youngest learners a statewide priority—for stronger families, vibrant communities, and a prosperous state. Please watch our video to learn more […]