We held our annual Women's Leadership Initiative (WLI) Luncheon on Wednesday, May 23 at the Cedar Rapids Country Club.

WLI is UWECI's women leadership group working to empower one another and impact the lives of women in our community. Their mission is to unite funds and resources to ensure the well-being of women in need.

Together with health partners Area Substance Abuse Council (ASAC), Community Health Free Clinic, and Eastern Iowa Health Center, we provide prescription assistance, screenings and care coordination, dental care, medical co-pay assistance, transportation to healthcare appointments, and more. Last year, these health partners provided more than 11,600 services to local women!

Julie Schneekloth, UFG and current WLI Chair, welcomed attendees and recapped another year of making a difference for local women and their families. Julie also introduced our guest speaker, Jennifer, a client from ASAC's Heart of Iowa program. Jennifer expressed her gratitude to ASAC and WLI members who helped fund the program and get her the help she and her children needed.

Teri Copler, TrueNorth and former WLI Chair, moderated the panel featuring WLI's three health partners. It was the perfect opportunity to see WLI funds in action, as well as learn more about both nonprofits' and local women's needs.

After thanking our steering committee and UWECI staff for their hard work and dedication, Julie announced some exciting news! WLI will soon align with other United Way women leadership groups to change its name to Women United. Look for the name change coming this fall.

Finally, we also gave away two tickets to our upcoming event, Power of the Purse, on Thursday, August 2. All proceeds from the silent purse auction and raffle will provide healthcare services for women in need. Get your tickets today by registering at uweci.org/purses. If you would like to donate a new purse to the silent auction, you can fill out a donation form on the same page.