In its early days, YWCA-GCR ran a cafeteria that fed both men and women in downtown Troy. One hundred years later we strive to echo that spirit and are serving a casual lunch of soup and bread on International Women's Day.

Please join us in celebrating all the women of the Y: residents, supporters, and staff. This is an opportunity to participate in our shared future as we are on a mission to eliminate racism and empower women.

We will gather at noon, and hear remarks from YWCA-GCR Executive Director Starletta Renee and writer Amy Halloran at 12:45PM. At 1PM we will carry flowers (provided by Flower Scout) to YWCA-GCR residents as a tradition of honoring the strength of women on International Women's Day. Food will be available from 12 to 2PM.

All guests will receive a zine on the history of Troy's YWCA by local writer, Amy Halloran.

Why bread and roses? We chose these words to honor activists who in the early 20th century said, "The worker must have bread, but she must have roses too." The phrase was common throughout labor organizing and popularized in poetry and song.

Pricing for this event is tiered to allow people to contribute at a comfortable level.

This project was made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Arts Center of the Capital Region.