OPTIONAL PULLOUT QUOTE OR USE AS CAPTION: “Here in Butler County, we are aware of the effects of the struggling economy on women and families.” Sherrie Bluester, executive director of the Hamilton YWCA.
Sherrie Bluester took over the reins of YWCA Hamilton in 2010 after longtime executive director Sibyl Miller retired. Bluester, who has worked at social services agencies in Greater Cincinnati for more than 20 years, recently agreed to answer a few questions from our Ideas & Voices team.
Q: How broad a geographic area does the YWCA serve?
A: Many people ask this question, assuming we only serve the city of Hamilton. We are on a mission to let the Butler County community know that we serve the entire county, not just Hamilton. Many of our programs are mobile, in the sense that we offer services in Middletown, Oxford, Fairfield and other locations. Our Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, funded through a federal grant with the Office of Adolescent Health, has a jurisdiction that covers Butler, Hamilton, Montgomery and Warren counties.
Q: The YWCA’s mission is empowering women and eliminating racism. How are those challenges being met?
A: Butler County, like other counties, needs to be more focused on the rights and privileges of women and eliminating racism. While women of different races experience life somewhat differently, there are many common threads. For example, women in Butler County still experience pay inequality: for every dollar earned by a white male, an African-American woman makes 69 cents, a white woman makes 77 cents, and a Latina woman makes 60 cents. This is a fact that significantly impacts the overall economy of Butler County, and therefore affects us all.
While there are many programs that address the alarmingly high rates of underemployment and unemployment, lack of both public transportation and third-shift child care options still present a barrier to many women seeking career advancement in the county.
The YWCA Hamilton is charged with educating the community to ensure that each individual's uniqueness is respected and valued, and to foster a culture in which understanding, respect and equality are commonplace. Through our services and programs, we promote fairness in building a caring and equitable community where we all live, learn and work. Our mission therefore benefits all Butler County residents, regardless of gender or race.
Q: The YWCA’s top legislative priorities for Congress are reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, national immigration reform, and a fair budget that protects women and families. Discuss how these issues directly affect the lives of women in southwest Ohio.
A: Many services provided by the YWCA Hamilton are due to VAWA. We are able to provide anti-violence programs, such as emergency shelter, a 24-hour hotline, transitional and supportive housing, support groups and court advocacy, and case management. As a leading provider of services for victims of domestic violence, the YWCA is opposed to any provision that forces victims to compromise their safety when seeking assistance from an abusive situation. We support all women and victims of abuse, regardless of race or citizenship status, and we do not stand for isolating subsets of the community that face unique barriers to accessing services.
Butler County has a large population of immigrants from various places. The YWCA is committed to advocating for a common-sense immigration process that keeps families together, provides adequate protections for immigrant victims of domestic violence, and creates a roadmap for citizenship. We are committed to ending racial, ethnic and religious profiling, and to requiring federal, state and local enforcement agencies to take steps to eliminate this practice. We are committed to equal opportunity for all Americans and to making sure that every American is treated equally under the law.
Here in Butler County, we are aware of the effects of the struggling economy on women and families. Job loss, stagnant wages and wealth inequality have taken a toll on single moms, communities of color, the disabled and other vulnerable populations. YWCA Hamilton offers services and programs to help women and families cope with these economic challenges.
Q: What are the greatest obstacles facing young women in 2013?
A: While conventional wisdom suggests the country is more polarized than ever, 80 percent of women agree with 80 percent of the issues, according to the "What Women Want" survey that was conducted locally by the YWCA. Regardless of political party, age or education, women are united in their belief that it remains a serious time for our economy and our families.
The issues for women in Butler County are the same: we need to close the economic gap between the rich and poor; work against the disappearing middle class; keep children safe from drugs and other substances; and support caregivers for aging parents who are paid less because they are women.
Q: What’s the local YWCA’s greatest need?
A: While all nonprofit agencies are struggling financially, we, too, seek unrestricted financial donations. This allows us to carry out additional programmatic needs as they arise. In addition, we always need items for the children and women we serve – nonperishable food items, craft supplies, toiletries, board games, fresh fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, lamps are in great need right now. And there are many opportunities to support the mission of the YWCA through volunteer services.
Q: What does the public not know about the local YWCA?
A: Many people are not aware that we serve all of Butler County. There is a perception that all funding, volunteers and other aspects of the organization are limited to the city of Hamilton.
The YWCA and YMCA are separate organizations; we are not affiliated. We do, however, partner to promote the success of county residents, as we do with many other organizations. We struggle constantly with defining who we are to the community. We are not the female arm of the YMCA.
YWCA Hamilton, decade after decade, has continued to live out its mission by answering the call for women, girls and their families. Today we achieve our mission by offering diverse selections of programs that are pertinent to today’s societal issues. For example, our recently established Girls Inc. program serves girls ages 9-12 in Butler County, empowering them to be “strong, smart and bold.”
The YWCA Hamilton, like most YWCAs across the country, provides services for the entire family — men included.
Q: What led you to this work?
A: I have always been involved in the social service field. Growing up, I was always doing something for someone else. It comes naturally to me. People are given choices in what they will do with their lives, whether to give back now or make plans to give back at some future date. I believe in giving back now.
Q: Who have been your role models?
A: Not to sound corny, but my lifetime role model is, of course, my mother. I think she did pretty well, rearing two pretty successful daughters alone when that was not the norm. I also admire anyone who does what they say they will do; integrity goes a long way with me.
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