our story
Founded in 1916, ywca clark county emerged in the community to provide working women in town a place to eat lunch alone, or with their women friends and colleagues. Over decades of addressing community needs, we blossomed into the mission-driven, multi-service organization dedicated to empowering women, preventing violence, and eliminating racism and other forms of oppression.
Today, ywca clark county is proud to be one of Clark County’s largest nonprofit organizations serving more than 10,000 community members through various advocacy, education, and outreach programs, services, and events. Below is a timeline of significant events in ywca clark county history.
1916 establishes as lunch counter for working women
1920 organizes league of women voters branch
1927 receives charter from national association
1946 welcomes people of color; women gather for social contact, recreation, classes
1948 receives the bulk of the Mary A. Powell estate
1960 takes an official stand against segregation
1968 implements programs for interracial, interreligious understanding
1975 opens women’s shelter
1980 implements sexual assault program
1982 casa advocates for abused, neglected children
1984 implements legal advocacy program
1988 implements children’s advocacy, y’s care programs
1990 implements ils program for youth in foster care
1992 implements safechoice domestic violence shelter
1994 gains recognition as agency of the year
1997 moves to a new location, expands programs
1998 gains recognition as agency of the year
2001 receives Helene Schoen estate donation
2006 implements eliminating racism workshop, safechoice legal clinic
2007 receives $1 million for y’s care children’s program from Ray Hickey
2008 implements social change program
2010 opens shelter to men
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