YWCA Pekin’s Coalition for Equality
Asian-American, Pacific-Islander Heritage Month is celebrated in May, and the Coalition for Equality is proud to offer a program featuring local residents from diverse Asian cultures. Zoe Vo will speak about her Vietnamese heritage and her family’s trip to her father’s homeland. Alina Vang will discuss her parents’ places of origin — Laos — and her family’s Hmong ethnicity. And Ruhi Patel will address her family’s Indian heritage and her family’s trips back home.
Join Zoe, Alina, and Ruhi on Wednesday, May 27 from 10:30 to 11:30am at the YWCA to celebrate AAPI Heritage month. Refreshments will be served.
In March, the Coalition for Equality honored Women’s History Month at Pekin Community High School. The program took place on Monday, March 23, and interested students attended during their lunch and advisory periods. This year’s program featured a panel of women who have “broken the glass ceiling” and have achieved respected leadership roles in corporate America. Students heard from female leaders within a wide variety of corporations. The Coalition for Equality thanks the following women who gave of their time and expertise: Kelly Vo, Division Risk and Compliance Manager at Caterpillar, Lynn Ann Boon, Executive Director at C5MI, Stacy Swanson, VP of EHS, Quality & Sustainability at Alto Ingredients, Tammy Jackson, Program Supervisor, Energy Efficiency at Ameren Illinois and Betsy Rowe, Director of Administrative Services for Pekin Insurance. The 2026 program follows offerings over the past few years which have focused on women in politics, in STEM related professions and in not-for-profit leadership.