Nancy Yarbrough, Wisconsin

Nancy Yarbrough knew exactly where she should be when her mother’s health deteriorated – at her side in the hospital. That meant a month without pay. So when she met the head of Wisconsin 9to5 and heard their coalition was planning a campaign for family and medical leave insurance, Nancy knew she had to be involved. “I had a sense of urgency to make a difference,” she said. “At a time, I felt isolated and alone with the financial burden I was faced with after the passing of my mother. But now I see there are a number of workers standing in solidarity against this injustice.”

Nancy’s involvement has meant canvassing door-to-door, talking with neighbors, colleagues and family members, getting signers on petitions and pledge cards, attending rallies and community events, and “working closely with staff to strategically think about ways to inform others about paid family leave.” Several state legislators recently introduced the bill.

For Nancy, being an activist “continues to help me push pass the hurt and pain in my mother’s honor.” She wants to prevent others from having to go through the difficulty she experienced. And she knows that her two teenage daughters “are looking up to me daily, very proud of the grassroots work I have been doing. They are learning that laws can change by standing up together.”