Thursday, March 28, 2013

A Letter from Senator Michael Frerichs to La Colectiva

Check out this letter written from Senator Michael Frerichs to La Colectiva, congratulating them for winning The Student Organization Award for the 2013 McKinley Foundation Social Justice Awards.  We are so proud of our student leaders for their hard work and unwavering commitment.




February 26, 2013

University YMCA
1001 S. Wright Street
Champaign, IL 61820-6285

Dear La Colectiva:

I applaud and congratulate your organization for winning The Student Organization Award for the 2013 McKinley Foundation Social Justice Awards.

Your commitment to education and addressing the issues faced by immigrants in the Champaign-Urbana community upholds a true value for social justice and it should be an honor for your organization to receive this award.  Continue following the mission your organization was founded on. The impact this organization has on the Champaign-Urbana community is remarkable.

Through your continued involvement with the community, fostering leadership and providing initiatives to the public, whether they agree or disagree, will have factual knowledge about things as the DREAM ACT.

Congratulations on all you have accomplished and I look forward to hearing about continued accomplishments.

Sincerely,

Michael Frerichs














Tuesday, March 19, 2013

[Y STORIES] Miss V: "A Home Away From Home"

When international graduate student Aurora Villacorta had her first interaction with the University YMCA, she had no idea the relationship would last decades. From student leader to dance instructor, the University YMCA has become a home away from home for Miss V for nearly fifty years.  Watch the video:     





This video is a part of the YMCA's celebration of 140 years of accomplishment in its mission to "challenge and nurture the mind and spirit of individuals and communities to develop and practice ethical principles and responsible leadership for social justice and the integrity of our natural world."

As part of this celebration, we would like to acknowledge stories of University YMCA alumni in order to commemorate our lasting legacy. We would love to hear your Y story, because we believe that the power of storytelling is when people say "me too."  


Watch other videos from our friends and Y alumni:


Thursday, March 14, 2013

Press Release/PSA: Renowned Interfaith Leader and Author Eboo Patel Talks on Interfaith Cooperation To Combat Prejudice and Anti-Muslim Sentiment


The University YMCA welcomes Eboo Patel, member of President Obama's inaugural Faith Advisory Council and founder of Interfaith Youth Core, to speak on April 5th at Friday Forum.  The title of Eboo's talk is "Standing Your Sacred Ground." There is no better time to stand up for your values than when they are under attack. 

When: April 5th, 2013, 12 Noon   

Where: Latzer Hall, University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright Street, Champaign, Illinois  

Talk Details: In the decade following the attacks of 9/11, suspicion and animosity toward American Muslims and alarmist, hateful rhetoric invoking the specter of Islam as a menacing, deeply anti-American force have become commonplace rather than being relegated to the fringes of political discourse. This prejudice is a challenge to the ideals of American life.  On April 5th, renowned interfaith leader Eboo Patel will discuss the art and science of interfaith work, showing us that Americans from George Washington to Martin Luther King Jr. have been "interfaith leaders." Sharing stories from the frontlines of interfaith activism, he'll bring to life the growing body of research on how faith can be a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier.  Eboo's talk will coincide with his engagement as keynote speaker at the 2013 Illinois Conference on Interfaith Collaboration, on campus April 5-7.

Photo Courtesy of Interfaith Youth Core
Bio: Eboo Patel is inspired to build bridges of interfaith cooperation by his faith as a Muslim, his Indian heritage, and his American citizenship. Eboo's fight for social justice led him to create Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), an organization committed and dedicated to achieving religious pluralism and inspiring youth to challenge and change the world. Both Eboo and IFYC were honored with the Roosevelt Institute's Freedom of Worship Medal in 2009. Author of the book Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, and his latest book Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America, Eboo is also a regular contributor to the Washington Post, USA Today, Huffington Post, NPR, and CNN.

For more information about Eboo Patel, please visit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eboo-patel/

Additional Information: The views expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the views of the University YMCA, co-sponsors, or the Friday Forum committee. A sign language interpreter is available within a 72 hour notice (contact Carol Nunn at 217-337-1500).  All forums are radio broadcast at 6:00pm on WEFT 90.1 the Monday following the lecture.  For more information, plus a list of our sponsors, please visit  www.universityymca.org/friday_forum.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Meet Maria Jones, Our New Sustainability Coordinator




By Kelsey Lyles, Communication Intern

Meet Maria Jones, a woman of many talents and passions: an amateur photographer, artist, blogger, singer, plant-lover, and advocate of taking care of our planet. We are thrilled that Maria Jones is our new sustainability coordinator at the University YMCA. Maria came to the University of Illinois from India two and a half years ago and is now an MBA student. Coming from a “so-called Third World country” (in the words of Maria), she says her outlook was changed when she realized that even the United States deals with issues of racism, poverty, and environmental concerns. She has been passionate about the planet since she was a little girl, raised in a family where “reduce, reuse, recycle” was part of her daily life. Maria hopes to inspire more people to live out this concept, starting with her role as sustainability coordinator at the University YMCA.

For Maria, sustainability is an ongoing process that involves three intertwined parts: people, planet, and prosperity. “One cannot stand without the other,” she says. She explains that by caring for the people, you can care for the planet, but without money (prosperity) this is not possible. Maria did not always think this way; she admits that she has never been a money-oriented person. In a class she took at Illinois, she was able to work with non-profit organizations in Champaign on a plan to reuse a brown field, which is a piece of contaminated land. She gained knowledge and understanding that with a tangible business plan, sustainability ideas are more likely to be implemented by the community. Maria encourages others to put plans into action by not only activism, but with a solid business plan.

Maria is putting her knowledge to practice as the leader of the sustainability committee, comprised of community members, professors, students, and one of the founders of the Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA). Their goal is to make the University YMCA a sustainable place, both the building and the organization. Currently they are developing a climate action plan based on the model of the Illinois Climate Action Plan. The group is aiming at net zero carbon emissions. “We are not limiting ourselves; we are setting high goals and see sustainability as more of a journey than a destination. Obtaining the IGBA certification, Energy Star, and the LEED certification are all stepping stones to getting to our main goal of net zero carbon emissions,” she says.
 
Apart from the climate action plan, Maria is working with certain student groups such as Students for Environmental Concerns (SECs) and a LINC class. With SECs, she mentors a group of students who are working on improving energy efficiency in low income communities. Her LINC class is in the initial stages of an urban agriculture project. Maria is an outstanding leader to these groups and the community. She encourages students to get involved with SECs and hopes to involve as many people as possible in the climate action plan. In looking at the impact of climate change that is happening slowly in front of us, Maria says it is critical to evaluate the past and change the mindsets that have brought the world to its present condition. She hopes to create an understanding among the Champaign-Urbana community that sustainability is not a goal as much as a journey and a mindset. “Today we can find a way to be more energy efficient, but tomorrow there will be another thing we need to change.”

We can all learn from Maria’s knowledge and passion for the environment. She believes that students are the next leaders of our world and urges students who want to make a change to start with themselves. “You can’t change the world if you don’t change yourself first. It starts with us.”

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

[Y STORIES] Ellen Dahlke: "A Place Where I Could"





Ellen Dahlke, the Vice-Chair of the Board of Governors of the YMCA, shares how the University YMCA has provided her with a safe haven as well as a place to meaningfully engage with her peers outside of the classroom. 

This video is a part of the YMCA's celebration of 140 years of accomplishment in its mission to "challenge and nurture the mind and spirit of individuals and communities to develop and practice ethical principles and responsible leadership for social justice and the integrity of our natural world."

As part of this celebration, we would like to acknowledge stories of University YMCA alumni in order to commemorate our lasting legacy. We would love to hear your Y story, because we believe that the power of storytelling is when people say "me too."  



Watch other videos from our friends and Y alumni: