Blog

In 1970, YWCA’s across the nation passed the One Imperative: a declaration that the most important priority for our associations to focus on to empower women was the elimination of racism, where ever it exists, by any means necessary. More than 50 years later, we are still pursuing that imperative, but we need your voice, your […]

YWCA Lancaster’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Center is Lancaster County’s Rape Crisis Center, and has been for more than three decades. As part of our services, we operate a 24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline, providing support, resources, and a listening ear to any community member who has been impacted by sexual assault, 7 days a […]

As the end of summer nears and a new school year begins, we reflect on what an amazing summer it was for YWCA Lancaster! Our highly successful and engaging summer enrichment activities ignited a passion for learning and exploration among its young students. These activities have not only bridged the gap from one school year […]

YWCA Lancaster is investing local support into emergent community needs through YForward: a reimagining of our historic Lime St. location! This unprecedented multi-year renovation of our 100+ year space will expand our ability to pursue our mission, creating 16 new affordable housing units, curating new trauma-informed spaces for our Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Center, […]

YWCA Lancaster is proud to announce the launch of the Legal Assistance for Victims Program in collaboration with Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County. This initiative is funded by an award from the US Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The Legal Assistance for Victims Program is intended to increase the availability […]

  Starleisha Gingrich is our Communications and Outreach Specialist for YWCA Lancaster’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Center (SAPCC), and is leading the efforts to increase awareness about the services SAPCC provides, as well as the ways that community members like you help power our mission to end sexual violence!   On August 30, YWCA […]

The following is an opinion piece originally published in LNP on Sunday, July 17, 2023. Read on LNP There are rarely times when our work is easy. Our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women is a generations-long movement, pioneered by countless Black women and women of color who endured hurt, setbacks, but also joy, […]

YWCA Lancaster is thrilled to present the 2023 Women of Achievement Honorees! Each year since 2016, YWCA Lancaster has uplifted the inspiring work of female-identifying community members through the Women of Achievement Awards to celebrate leaders, mentors, and volunteers who embody our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. All proceeds from the event support […]

On July 17, YWCA Lancaster was thrilled to host the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter to learn about PHRC’s mission, their work to prevent civil rights violations and provide support for individuals facing discrimination, as well as hear from community members in Lancaster about the issues that are concerning them. […]

Guest blog from Elana Rosen-Kinn, YWCA Lancaster team member and disability rights activist Let’s talk about disabilities and laws! Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) laws and how to advocate was key to understanding more about where challenges here in Lancaster are and stem from. In our recent Listen Learn & Lead session, “ADA […]