YMCA of Metro Atlanta Participates in National Advocacy Days 2025 in Washington, DC
Last week, YMCA of Metro Atlanta joined YMCAs from around the nation in Washington, DC to advocate for continued federal support of the local programs and resources that our members and communities rely on.
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta delegation spoke with Senators Ossoff and Warnock, Representatives McBath, Johnson, Williams, Carter, and McCormick, and legislative staff from the offices of Representatives Loudermilk and Jack about the importance of YMCA programs, including Safety Around Water, Head Start, and Early Head Start. The delegation also thanked the Georgia’s Congressional leaders for their continued funding support of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, including Representative McBath’s Community Funding Project that supported recent renovations at the J.M. Tull-Gwinnet Family YMCA, Senator Ossoff’s support for new play spaces at our branches, and Representative Johnson efforts to help the South Dekalb Family YMCA received federal funds as a sub-grantee.
Every member of Congress and their staff had a Y story! Representative McBath learning how to swim at the YMCA in Illinois as a child and Representative Williams working as an Afterschool Program Counselor at the Cowart Family YMCA were just a couple of the many Y stories our staff heard while in Washington.
In addition to local areas of support, the delegation advocated alongside YMCAs from around the country for shared national priorities, including maximizing funding for the CDC Injury Center, which has supported and developed strategies to help YMCAs to deliver water safety program that helps prevent drownings and save lives.
YMCA of Metro Atlanta staff were joined by Annalise Yeagle, a youth leader at the Cowart Family YMCA who was competitively selected by the Georgia State Alliance as Georgia’s Youth Advocate of the Year. Now in its eleventh year, the YMCA Youth Advocate Program is a four-month advocacy training program that gives students the opportunity to elevate their voice on issues important to the Y and provides students with practical, real-world experience advocating with Members of Congress and their offices in Washington, DC.
