YWCA Monterey County Celebrates 50 Years
YWCA Monterey County celebrates 50 years of rich history in the community May of 2021.
While our acronym suggests we are a faith-based organization, Young Women’s Christian Association of Monterey County, is a nonsectarian Christian organization. With roots in the late 19th Century, according to Brittanica the first Young Women’s Christian Association was established in 1855 in England. Two groups, Prayer Union which prayed for women and the other group who focused on finding Christian homes for young women merged in 1877 and became the Young Women’s Christian Association.
When the YWCA-MC began with the Monterey Peninsula chapter, we shared an office with the Child Abuse Prevention Council. Although it has been 50 years and many offices later, work continues to protect children and families to this day. This year, we moved into our current offices at 11 Quail Circle in Salinas.
There is no doubt that our agency has become a pillar in Monterey County. We provide services to survivors of domestic violence while focusing on prevention. Within the last 50 years, we have expanded our services to our clients from shelter services to understand how to work with clients while providing legal advocacy and therapy holistically. Our goal is to offer a helping hand to our clients while giving them the tools they need to become independent.
Our commitment to providing assistance while respecting spiritual beliefs is a principle that has evolved. By actively disregarding discrimination, we help every person who reaches out regardless of their religion, race, age, and gender. The help we provide does not come with any type of conversion to Christianity; We respect everyone’s right to choose for themselves.
The YWCA has been a leader in social movements empowering women for over 160 years. When the Monterey Peninsula chapter of YWCA began, we shared our office with the Child Abuse Prevention Council. Though it has been 50 years, our work still continues to protect children today. With support from other community organizations, we have been able to improve the services we offer.
Through the acquisition of grants and personal donations within the community, our organization has been able to provide invaluable services to women in Monterey County. These services range from an emergency Food Bank to financial education and support. We believe that by working together with businesses like the Community Foundation of Monterey and Sunstreet Centers, we can understand how to provide our clients with the best steps to move forward. Our mission is to empower women, advocate for civil rights, provide affordable housing and work compensation equity, prevent violence, and offer healthcare services. YWCA Monterey County stands for a better future for women in our community.
Our agency is a prominent organization serving Monterey County, dedicated to providing assistance to survivors of domestic violence while also focusing on prevention. Over the past 50 years, we have expanded our services from sheltering to offering step-down housing, therapy, and more. Our goal is to provide support to survivors while equipping them with the necessary tools to become self-reliant. Recovery from domestic violence is a complex process, and at YWCA-MC, we have developed specific programs aimed at helping our clients succeed in their new life paths.
Celebrate our 50 year anniversary with us! We are proud to be a community organization that works to eliminate racism and empower women and hope you share our vision.
