Tell Cleveland Lawmakers to Ban Flavored Tobacco Sales– Tobacco companies have a long history of targeting communities of color with devastating consequences. As a driving force behind potentially fatal health conditions that disproportionately impact people of color, such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Cleveland has a responsibility to protect our community and end the sale of flavored tobacco products.

Creating a More Equitable Continuum of Care– We recognize the systemic barriers to exiting homelessness such as racism, sexism, and ableism. When our local government commits to the systemic change needed to end the inequities, we can ensure that everyone in our community has access to the safe and affordable housing they are entitled to.

Homeless Bill of Rights– The main goal of the Homeless Bill of Rights is to enshrine and protect the civil and human rights of people while they are experiencing homelessness. It aims to end the criminalization of the experience of homelessness. It also guarantees that all Cleveland residents have the same rights and are treated with respect and compassion, regardless of their housing status. The proposed Homeless Bill of Rights adds protections against discrimination for people experiencing homelessness in Cleveland and memorializes specific rights belonging to people experiencing homelessness.

A Place 4 Me – AP4M is a collective impact initiative of 30 partner organizations that coordinates the planning and implementation of local efforts to improve outcomes for young adults aging out of foster care or experiencing homelessness. We achieve these goals through convening, system assessment, planning, using data to drive decision-making, and by partnering with young adults to lead our advocacy efforts. We work to promote racial equity in the youth homeless system.

Join us for the Racism as a Public Health Crisis Town Hall on April 28th- In November of 2019, YWCA Greater Cleveland partnered with First Year Cleveland to host “400 Years of Inequity: A Call to Action” a national summit commemorating the start of chattel slavery in 1619 and its enduring impact on health, economic and educational inequities in America. The summit closed with a call to action – declare racism a public health crisis. With the support of YWCA and other community organizations, in summer 2020, the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials declared racism a public health crisis and committed to making real systemic change. These declarations represent an important governmental acknowledgment of racism and its continued impact.

We are now serving on a working group made up of leaders from several community organizations in Cleveland, including the NAACP, infant mortality activist groups Birthing Beautiful Communities and First Year Cleveland and the Urban League of Greater Cleveland to make recommendations and advise policymakers and city officials on improving racial disparities in Cleveland.

Aisha’s Law is currently sitting in the senate for approval, and it is a bill proposal that was named after Shaker Heights teacher who was murdered by her ex-husband.  If passed the bill would make it so that penalties for killing an intimate partner is tougher.

House Bill 7 (Strong Foundation Act) seeks to address the lack of resources that mothers are provided by supporting strong foundations for mothers and babies to address maternal and infant mortality and improve health and developmental outcomes. 

HJR1 Proposing to amend Sections 1b, 1e, and 1g of Article II and Sections 1 and 3 of Article XVI of the Constitution of the State of Ohio to require a vote of at least 60% of the electors to approve any constitutional amendment and to modify the procedures for an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment. 

Senate Bill 83 (Ohio Higher Education Act) is a proposed bill that seeks to change the very fabric of education in the state of Ohio. It seeks to this by:

• Banning DEI programs 
• No Boycotting 
• No public positions 
• No indoctrination 
• No controversial concepts 
• No advantage/Affirmative Action 
• No “Ideological litmus test” 

The Reproductive Freedom with Protections to Reproductive Health and Safety Bill will ban every restriction concerning abortion in Ohio, while also protecting it under the state constitution. The Ohio ballot board has voted unanimously to approve the initiative as a single-issue amendment which will allow it the possibility to go before voters in November.  

SUPPORTED: Adopting the Menstrual Equality Act

The Menstrual Equity Act seeks to provide menstrual hygiene products to incarcerated menstruators and assures that they are treated with dignity. Products such as pads, tampons, and menstrual cups, are not luxuries, but are essential for maintaining health and sanitation. 

This will benefit the citizens of Greater Cleveland by putting in place a uniform policy across the state to  ensure that: 

• Incarcerated people have equitable access to a sufficient quantity of menstrual products and aren’t denied essential supplies because of their race, sex, gender preference, income status, degree of charge, or disability status. 
• Staff cannot use access to period products to manipulate or abuse incarcerated people. 
• Menstrual products are safely stored, distributed, and disposed of. 
• Incarcerated people do not need to create unsafe makeshift products or come into conflict with others because of the scarcity period products.