Youngstown YWCA preserves its past, enriches its future

Youngstown YWCA preserves its past, enriches its future

Cheers to the Youngstown YWCA board, administrators, staff, volunteers and donors who last week broke ground for the first phase of an impressive $11 million renovation and historic preservation of the century-old downtown landmark.

The project excites us on two fronts:

First, it represents yet another large-scale commitment to the renaissance of downtown Youngstown and to the strengthening of town-gown bonds between the central city and Youngstown State University.

Second, it will enhance and expand the praiseworthy mission of the social service agency that serves 10,000 women and families in the Mahoning Valley annually.

About the project

Workers on the first-phase of the project, which costs about $8.5 million, will transform two floors of dormitory-style housing into 30 one-bedroom and efficiency apartments, preserve the historic gymnasium as a community meeting room, renovate the main lobby and build a public cyber caf . Careful attention will be paid to preserving the integrity of the five-story building’s classical revival architectural style, an appropriate move to honor the 95-year legacy of the city’s branch of the Young Women’s Christian Association. Completion is expected by December 2010.

The second phase, which is expected to cost an additional $2.5 million, will add a child-care and education center and restore portions of the building to the high standards set by the National Register of Historic Places, on which the elegant structure has been listed for 23 years.

The project is taking shape simultaneously with construction across the street of the $34 million Williamson College of Business Administration building at YSU. When both projects are complete, the impact on the landscape of the area will be dramatic. So, too, will be the impact on expanding the downtown-YSU partnership in revitalizing the city’s core.

An investment in the future

More importantly, however, this investment in the YWCA’s future represents a commitment to strengthening and expanding the social, economic, public service and racial-equality aims of the organization.

The expanded housing will meet the needs of the Y’s target population of low-income and/or disabled women with or without families. As the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development points out, a key to breaking the cycle of homelessness and poverty is the availability of affordable permanent housing, the stock of which is lacking in the Mahoning Valley.

New and renovated space for child-care, kindergarten-readiness, playground and screening programs will benefit those most central in the lives of most women — their children.

In short, the multi-pronged renovation and restoration project represents a win-win for the thousands of women and children in the community who will benefit from its realization. As such, the fund-raising drive for Phase II — financing is largely in place for Phase I — merits generous community support.

The campaign called “So We May Rise to Lead” is offering recognition and naming opportunities for those who make contributions large or small. We urge YWCA supporters to contact the Y at (330) 746-6361 or go online at www.ywca.org/youngstown to make their gift.

For nearly 100 years, the Youngstown YWCA has worked to empower women of all socio-economic strata. It has made great strides but clearly its work and its mission remain incomplete.

A contribution to the “Rise to Lead” campaign translates into an investment in greater social and economic justice for women, enhanced opportunities for children and renewed vitality for our central city.