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The YWCA is a place where every women can find the support services, career development and advancement opportunities, and health and wellness information that can enable them to move forward toward a successful life.
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About the YWCAYWCA empowers all women to take command of their career, health, education, and community involvement effectively throughout their lives and to actively participate in a society free of discrimination.
For some women the YWCA team provides services that act as a bridge to self- reliance.
For others we work to connect them to opportunities to advance in their careers. The YWCA team of professionals also works with organizational volunteers and leadership mentors to make it easy for women to participate fully in their community while helping other women succeed. For all women of all ages we encourage a lifetime of wellness through exercise and current health care information.
Our success is grounded in partnership with quality providers, government leaders, and other stakeholders with similar goals…to overcome the physical, economic, and social barriers that restrict full engagement by women in the workplace, their home and the greater community.
The YWCA reaches all women from childhood to adult maturity with programs that empower careers, health, education, and community service.
We invite you to read more about the programs and services of the YWCA presented in more detail on this site. Be sure to save this site as one of your "favorites' and visit often. We also encourage you to visit our YW Connects Women's Service Center on the 3rd floor of the YWCA headquarters building at 305 Wood St., between 3rd and 4th, in downtown Pittsburgh to access directly the services you need.
Save the Date!
26th Annual
A Tribute to Women
Leadership Luncheon Awards
May 15, 2008
Click here for more information
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Our HistorySince 1869, the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh has worked to improve our community by increasing the status of women, girls and families and advancing racial justice.
Often ahead of its time and with remarkable vision, the YWCA has tackled such issues as homelessness, childcare needs, disparities in unemployment, fair housing and civil rights.
Today, the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh is at the forefront of efforts by offering an array of programs and services, which are guided by a common vision: peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people. We invite you to join the YWCA Greater Pittsburgh in our mission to advance the status of women and their families.
1869 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh was formed by a small group of women whose goal was to become a social force for good in the community
By combining their Christian faith with action, they dedicated their efforts to designing programs to address the lives of women and children during a time when poverty and its attendant struggles were paramount among the population
1880 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh opened the first orphanage for African-American children in Allegheny County, which is now the site of the Three Rivers Youth Organization
1917 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh created the "Committee on Colored Work" which worked to establish savings programs and improve housing and job opportunities for African-American factory workers who flooded the region in hopes of securing wartime jobs
1938 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh members served on the first Minimum Wage Board
1960s –YWCA Greater Pittsburgh developed racial dialogue teams to help ease racial tensions
1970s –YWCA Greater Pittsburgh pioneered non-traditional employment programs for women by developing job opportunities in construction and the steel industry
1984 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh introduced the Bridge Housing program, which was the first transitional housing program in the nation
1996 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh opened and operated the first and only YWCA Center for Race Relations
1998 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh opened the Homewood Brushton Center; largely built by women and African–American members of the Pittsburgh Black Construction Association
1999 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh formed YW Homes, Inc., a non-profit subsidiary corporation with the purpose of creating desegregative affordable housing choices for low-income, single-parent families
2004 – YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Center for Race Relations received the Ebony and Ivory award for organizational excellence in the area of racial reconciliation; Office Of Advocacy was created
2005 - Homewood Brushton's Children and Youth Development and Education Program receives its STAR 4 Designation based on NAEYC accreditation, a national system that sets professional standards for early childcare education programs
2006 - YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Legal Resource for Women's Department launches its new program, the "100 Lawyer one case program". The program is designed to match 100 attorneys with impoverished women in need of legal services for custody, divorce and support cases
2007 - The YW Enterprising Women's Microenterprise Training and Microlending Program graduates 100 women from their 10-week training course since its 2006 inception
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