Celebrating 100 Years in the Community
The YWCA has a rich history in St. John’s dating back to 1925. After 50 years operating as a YWCA, the organization merged with the local YMCA in 1975. After nearly 40 years of joint programming, in 2012, the local YM-YWCA of Northeast Avalon ended its affiliation with the national YWCA movement. YWCA St. John’s now proudly embraces a local history spanning over 10 decades. We work towards gender equity locally, and inter/nationally through our affiliation with the YWCA Canada and World YWCA.
YWCA has a long history providing innovative responses to the needs of our communities, including programs that have broken new ground such as our LGBTQIA+ Newcomers Project (launched in 2020) and our Connextions Employment program (launched in 2022), both focused on building community and accessing economic security. YWCA St. John’s is also part of YWCA Canada’s National Emergency Survivor Support Fund, supporting women and gender-diverse people in accessing the economic and supportive pathways they need to be safe. We also continue to drive leadership, opportunity and advocacy through our youth programs.
Since 2013, we have been rebuilding as an organization, based on a call from community and with the support of our community, for which we are immensely grateful. Guided by our previous strategic plan which launched in 2018, we have been answering that call and building a strong and accountable organization. Through the provision of essential services and supports, programs to advance leadership, and advocacy to move forward our feminist mission and vision, we have been a champion for change and responded to the needs of our communities.
We launch our new 2024-2027 Strategic Plan in September 2024 to establish a bold vision for our future, and articulate our role as a leading service provider, supporter and advocate for gender equity in St. John’s. Despite progress, the struggle for gender equity is unfinished and we face new challenges. From the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on women and gender-diverse people, to the continued inequities faced by marginalized community members, we knew we needed to grow and adapt in the face of emergent challenges.
We have bold dreams for our future and are ready to rise to the challenge of this moment. As we look ahead in celebration of our 100th year of operations, we commit to approaching our work with an intersectional, anti-oppressive lens and an eye to the basic social and economic needs of those we serve, while ensuring we are strategic, sustainable and impact oriented.
