Nonprofit Spotlight: YWCA Metro St. Louis
To help further their mission and shine a light on the work that drives our community forward, we will be spotlighting some extraordinary nonprofits with which we have the honor of working.
Today, we’re taking a look at the incredible work that the YWCA Metro St. Louis is doing for our region.
Established in 1858 as a voice for women’s issues, YWCA opened the first employment bureau for women several years later. That was just the beginning.
YWCA Metro St. Louis formed in 1904 to provide safe housing for rural women coming to the city to find employment at the 1904 World’s Fair. More than a century later later, they are providing housing for women in St. Louis, and are working to eliminate racism, empower women and help women and their families achieve their full potential and well-being in a world without discrimination.
In the era of COVID-19, too, the YWCA’s work has evolved to help address the repercussions that stay-at-home orders and school closings have had on women and their families.
From reopening their YWCA Metro St. Louis Domestic Violence Drop-In Center (the only stand-alone drop-in center in the metro area dedicated to helping survivors of intimate partner violence) by appointment, to restructuring the policies and staffing at the 13 area YWCA Head Start child care centers in the area to help families who couldn’t afford to stay home with their children due to school closures, their response to the effects of the pandemic has been tremendous. Read more about these changes in this Ladue News article and in the St. Louis American.
“Our focus on issues affecting women and families has never shifted, but has evolved given the unique challenges that 2020 has brought. We’re so grateful to our community for their continued support because we rely on donations and this support to help meet the growing needs of these families in the St. Louis region,” said Adrian Bracy, CEO of YWCA Metro St. Louis.
If you are interested in learning more about the YWCA Metro St. Louis and how you can support their mission, please visit their website and consider making a donation here.
