L. Renee Anderson | YWCA Women of Excellence Honoree
What inspires you to get up and do the work?
I enjoy what I do first and foremost. Secondly, I am helping people feel confident about who they are and how they feel on the inside and out.
What have you learned about yourself through the challenges you have overcome?
I have learned that challenges are motivators. They push you to do better, and give you hope that anything is possible with the right mindset.
How do you take care of yourself?
I value my health, so I try to be conscious what I feed my body, and what I feed in my mind. I love motivational and inspirational quotes. So, I tend to read them all the time, and share quotes with others.
What is the best advice you've ever been given? Or what advice do you have for others?
My advice to others is to never give up on yourself or any dreams you have. If you want them bad enough, go after them because anything is attainable.
What is your vision for our community? Has it changed through the pandemic and racial justice reckoning of recent years?
My vision for our community is to just keep getting better. Keep being there for everybody, allow all ethnicities to have a seat at the table and be authentic about it. We are a diverse national, always have been, always will be. Stand up for racial injustice and know that the movements happening around us is about everybody, not just one race.
The mission of YWCA is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. What does YWCA's mission mean to you?
I believe in the mission, and it means everything to me. Especially the empowerment of women since we suffer the most when it comes to equality, wages, and the fight for our rights when it comes to our bodies and our choices. We should have the freedom to choose against these things. I support the YWCA mission one hundred percent.
