A Legacy of Women Helping Women
As we continue to focus on empowering women whose needs are not being met elsewhere in the community, our programs today address two critical needs – providing affordable housing for women and their children, including emergency housing for the homeless, and improving the graduation rate of our young people.
For over 140 years, YWCA has been a powerful resource in our community. Through strong leadership and careful strategic planning, the agency has continued to grow and adapt to meet the changing needs of women and girls.
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In 1883, eleven empowering women saw a need to provide housing for young women moving into the city for the first time to find work. They founded a women’s association that years later would vote to become a member of the national organization known as YWCA and opened a small boarding house. Employment services were offered, as well as classes in arithmetic and English since educational opportunities for women were extremely limited.
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As YWCA’s programs expanded, so did the need for additional space. In 1888, YWCA opened the first gymnasium classes for women in Rochester, including the first public swimming pool for women. Around this time, rooms could be rented for $1 a week. Meals were not provided but could be purchased on site; a full meal cost 11 cents.
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In the early 1900s, programs for girls became a central part of YWCA’s mission. The Girl Reserves, later to be called Y-Teens, would give girls a place to gather, offer a wide range of classes, and provide opportunities for community service. It was also around this time that YWCA opened the first camp for girls in the area, Camp Wacona, near what is now Seabreeze. Camp Onanda would soon follow.
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In 1922 the organization established a race relations committee and created the Caladonia Street Branch of YWCA for African American women, later called the Clarissa Street Branch. By 1951, all YWCA’s programs and services were fully integrated at its new facility on North Clinton Avenue.
As the agency continued to grow and serve even greater numbers of women, YWCA’s programs and activities flourished. Clubs and programs were formed for nearly every purpose imaginable. From the organization’s earliest days, groups of area women who supported the association and its mission had begun forming into what were called “Chapters,” or groups that gathered to spend time together for leadership and service opportunities. One of these chapters, the Sibley Chapter, continues today, generously contributing to the programs of YWCA.
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In the late 1960s and 1970s, YWCA served as a place for the community to come together to discuss social issues. The leadership of YWCA at the time, which included Mrs. Ermine Byas and Mrs. Betty Jane Altier, became a strong voice for racial justice. Eliminating racism in all its forms became a hallmark program of YWCA at the national and level. Focusing on offering services that fostered social justice and economic empowerment became critical to the agency’s mission.
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At this time, several programs still offered today were founded, including the School-age Parents Program in 1969. This program was the first in the community to help teen mothers stay in high school. YWCA also opened the first substance abuse treatment center exclusively for women. Once health and fitness centers became readily open to women, YWCA decided to concentrate its attention on programs benefiting women in need. The pool and gym facility were converted to more housing units and space for the Women’s Resource Center.
