Mission & Values

YWCA Rochester & Monroe County:
#MissionForward

Nationally, YWCA has been at the forefront of the most critical social movements for more than 160 years, from women’s empowerment and civil rights, to affordable housing and pay equity, to violence prevention and health care.

Locally, YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County has been a powerful resource in our community since 1883. We help women and girls who are faced with personal crises including homelessness and teen pregnancy. We also work hard to dispel stereotypes and promote racial justice. Our goal is to empower women to regain control of their lives and get on the path to a healthy, successful future.

YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County is #OnAMission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

YWCA Rochester & Monroe County is #OnAMission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

Our values are the fundamental principles and beliefs by which we operate.

They are the key to our success and guide us in our decisions, our interactions with our clients, and throughout our relationships with our partners and the greater community.

Integrity

We adhere to high ethical and professional standards in our work and relationships. Our employees and Board of Directors act with transparency and accountability. They engage in honest, respectful transactions with one another and with all of the populations we serve, including our clients, donors, members, and our community.

Respect

We believe every person should be treated with dignity and regard. Every action we take is executed with the utmost respect for all people. Our success depends on the positive relationships we build with clients, colleagues, partners, and our community. We welcome and embrace diverse ideas, talents, and backgrounds.

Commitment

We are dedicated to providing caring, supportive, life-changing services to our clients and community.

Compassion

Our work and our relationships are motivated by compassion, which is the drive behind our success. Our deep desire to help our clients inspires us to make a positive difference for them and in our community. We treat our clients and one another with respect. We remind ourselves that our actions, words, and tone indicate to others that we truly care about them and the work we do, both collectively and individually.

Credibility

We have dedicated more than 120 years of supporting and empowering women and their families as a nationally incorporated member of the YWCA family. Before our incorporation, we spent nearly two decades providing services in the Rochester & Monroe County. Now, we have more than 30 years of experience providing domestic and sexual violence crisis services to survivors in our community. We are an established, respected, and trusted presence in our community. Our history, experience, and expertise have positioned us as a reliable source on these issues.

Expertise

We are experts on the issues of domestic and sexual violence. As providers of supportive services, and as the only state-certified provider locally, we are uniquely qualified to assist, serve, and educate our community. We operate confidentially and are supportive of the knowledge and experience of one another.

Teamwork

We are an integrated team and our collective success is based on the strength of individual team members. We learn from each other and share our skills, resources, and knowledge.

FAQs

  • Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic violence is one partner’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other.

  • Sexual violence is the general term used to describe any kind of unwanted sexual act or activity, including rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and many others. Sexual harassment is any unwanted behavior of a sexual nature that makes you feel distressed, intimidated, or humiliated. Both can take lots of different forms.

  • Our free and confidential hotlines are available 24/7/365 for anyone seeking support for domestic violence, sexual violence, and/or child abuse experiences.

  • Thank you! Monetary gifts are the best way to make the biggest impact, either online or by mail. We also accept in-kind donations of personal hygiene items (period products, hand sanitizer, etc.), infant/childcare items (diapers, wipes, etc.), and home care supplies (soap, detergent, towels, etc.).

  • For general inquiries about our mission and services, email us at ywinfo@ywcarochester.org or call (585) 546-5820. Please do not use our hotline phone numbers or chat service if you are not in a crisis situation.