Blog

“In this time of racial and social reckoning, I want to be on the right side of history, helping to lead the YWCA forward with equitable and sound solutions.” Deborah Wilson Gadsden. Ms. Gadsden is a 47 year veteran of the child welfare arena in Pennsylvania. As a Training Specialist with Family Design Resources, she […]

The Mayor has taken up the question of the unfinished work of Thaddeus Stevens and reminds us, there is a role for everyone.  What are you doing within your sphere of influence? #whoweareLancaster Lancaster has a unique identity, perhaps best known as the home of our Plain communities and their distinctive culture and traditions. This […]

As we approach the end of 2020, Lancaster County is in the midst of three crises: a pandemic, employment disruption and a renewed demand for racial justice. As a county, we are dependent on scientists, public health employees and elected officials to address the pandemic, and it seems likely that once the pandemic is under […]

Lancaster, Pa. (October 6, 2020) – YWCA Lancaster announces the launch of the Center for Racial and Gender Equity (CRGE).  The Center will engage in education and advocacy to build community around the YWCA’s core mission to eliminate racism and empower women. The CRGE was conceived during the pandemic in the days following the public […]

August 18, 2020 by Catherine Beane, Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy, YWCA I sit in the quiet of this morning, before the noise in my house begins, and I remember: 100 years ago today – August 18, 1920 – the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. A century of women’s rights launched […]

Lancaster, Pa. (July 29, 2020) – YWCA Lancaster is pleased to announce the appointment of Nancy O’Halloran as its new Development Director.  Ms. O’Halloran began work at the agency in mid-July. Ms. O’Halloran has over 29 years of business development experience, specifically, providing HVAC Services solutions to the industrial, institutional and commercial markets in Central […]

June 17, 2020 The United States is facing a reckoning moment when it comes to racial justice. But what does justice actually look like in practice? Is it equity? Equality? Is it allyship? Is it liberation? The work of justice takes many forms, and we’re proud to have lived out this mission for over one hundred and […]

This episode of Organize Your Butterflies features a vibrant and thought provoking conversation between Alejandra Y. Castillo, CEO, YWCA and Peggy Nagae, Senior Consultant at White Men as Full Diversity Partners and the co-chair of the Diversity Task Force for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Topics discussed include: the profound legacy of the […]

In early March we faced a decision brought on by the pandemic.  The scheduled 22nd annual  Race Against Racism was coming up and it was becoming clear that a gathering of 3000 individuals running a 5K through the city of Lancaster was not wise nor safe.  As we reviewed options, the question arose, “Should we […]

The 1918 flu pandemic was the most severe in recent history, causing an estimated 675,000 deaths in the U.S. In the spring of 1918, YWCA Lancaster had just opened the doors to its now-historic building. Six thousand women visited the first week — at a time when women couldn’t vote or control their own money, […]