MAKING OUR VOICE HEARD - Advocating for Youth and Families
Become a Y Advocate!
Believing that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, deserves to be healthy, confident, connected and secure, the Y is a powerful ally and advocate for our communities.
With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y collaborates with national and community-based leaders and policymakers to increase the resources and support that empower individuals, families and communities to learn, grow and thrive.
As an advocate of the Y, YOU can help:
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Influence policies and initiatives that help youth develop healthy behaviors, values and life skills
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Prevent and combat chronic disease
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Build trust and understanding among community groups and decision makers
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Positively impact societal issues of importance to the nation and your community
Advocate in support of a movement working every day to build healthier communities.
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The Y has been listening and responding to our communities' most critical and social needs for nearly 170 years. Let your voice be heard and counted by reaching out to your elected officials.
Advocacy in Action
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Testified and provided amendment language on Oregon SB 50 regarding Central Background Registry (2021)
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Testimonial on Oergon HB3073 regarding Early Learning (Passed) (2021)
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Testified on Oreogon SB513 Civics Education Act (Passed) (2021)
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Advocacy and Testimonial for the passage of the Oregon Nonprofit Modernization Act, Senate Bill 606, in the Oregon Legislature. It was one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation that Oregon’s nonprofit sector has ever pursued. (Passed) (2023)
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Advocacy with the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee requesting funding for CDC's National Center on Injury Prevention and Control to enhance its drowning prevention activities supporting funding for the CDC to begin to scale drowning prevention programs, like the Y’s Safety Around Water program, and advance other needed national and state strategies. (Annually)
Testified on Oregon SB 531 to appropriate moneys from General Fund to Department of Education for summer and after-school programs. (2023)
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Championed legislation for Oregon HB 4082 to provide $30 million in state funding for summer learning and to create a workgroup to develop recommendations for sustainable long-term funding for summer learning in the future. (Passed) (2024) Alliance Director Marisa Fink was appointed to this workgroup and was on the planning team for the Summer and Afterschool Learning Summit on August 15, 2024.
Oregon YMCA Youth Advocates and Alliance Executive Director met with Rep. Susan Bonamici in Washington, DC to recognize her as the YMCA's 2024 Congressional Champion for sponsoring the Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act. Every child deserves a healthy start in life and the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) plays a pivotal role in ensuring children and adults are nutrition secure. This Act includes priorities that will support thousands of CACFP operators who work tirelessly to meet the needs of children and adults in care.
The Oregon Delegation at YMCA National Advocacy Days in Washington, DC in February 2024.