YWCA McLean County

YWCA Stepping Stones started a fundraising campaign in 2023. They made more than initially anticipated and expect to finish renovations this summer.

Experimental musician Matthew Ryals' tour dates lined up with a first-of-its-kind Wellness Weekend using arts and humanities to examine the criminal justice system. The result is a "happy accident" melding musical styles at Illinois Art Station on Sunday.

For a gathering Sunday sponsored by Not in Our Town Bloomington-Normal, sharing anxiety about the incoming administration, and resolving to stay involved are two major steps toward making things better — and even, to some extent, healing.

A federal grant will send more than $350,000 to McLean County to help prevent domestic violence and sexual assault against children.

Hannah Mesouani, an Illinois State University faculty member and leader at YWCA McLean County, has been named an Obama Foundation Leader.

A symposium attracting artists, educators and policy advocates gathered in Bloomington last weekend to highlight arts initiatives supporting people and families touched by the correctional system.

YWCA McLean County has added a no-cost before and after-school care opportunity for low-income families with students who attend District 87’s Sheridan Elementary School. Meanwhile, parents and guardians get to take advantage of monthly educational seminars on topics like budgeting and finding employment.

When it comes to helping youth experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness, schools can play a surprisingly vital role in providing stability and aid — if they’re aware there’s an issue in the first place. Oftentimes, they’re not.

YWCA Stepping Stones in Bloomington outlined in its proposal that it will use the funds to hire a new counselor and continue paying for six months of a current staff member’s salary in the hope of bringing down a wait list that reached up to 65 people when the group recently lost annual federal funding it typically received.

A request for $100,000 in stopgap funding for YWCA McLean County's Stepping Stones has proved contentious, with multiple County Board meetings mired by discussing proper protocol and procedure. Despite this, two boards approved the proposal and the full County Board is set to vote on it Thursday.