YWCA Northcentral PA

The mission & vision of the YWCA is to Empower Women and Eliminate Racism around the world. The YWCA is the oldest and largest women’s membership movement in the United States. There are 132 YWCAs across the country, representing two million women, girls, and their families.

Since 1893, the YWCA Northcentral PA has been dedicated to providing women and their families with opportunities to live with dignity and peace. Through a range of services and programs, we aim to help individuals throughout Lycoming County and Northcentral Pennsylvania build better lives.

Our staff, volunteers, and community leaders are committed to making the YWCA Northcentral PA an integral part of the community. We constantly strive to advance and address the changing needs of those we serve.

Our organization is focused on achieving our mission goals in all aspects of our work and the services we provide.

Building

Our YWCA Story

With the support of the community, we have been empowering women to reach their full potential since 1893, when a group of women came together in Williamsport, Pennsylvania to help local women and girls. It was then we began our first program designed to help women working in textile factories find safety, community and support within the walls of the YWCA. Over the years, we have expanded our services to provide women and children, and even men, with a multitude of educational and empowering opportunities, support and encouragement, as well as safety and security for those crises.

It was in 1977 that the YWCA Northcentral PA formed Wise Options, a shelter initially designed to serve women fleeing domestic violence. As the need grew within our community, we expanded our program to ensure not only women and children were provided the services needed, but men seeking safety from an abuser were able to find safe haven through YWCA’s Wise Options. In the nearly 50 years that Wise Options has been available to our community, thousands of women, children and men have found safety, support and freedom from abuse.

In 2003, the YWCA Northcentral PA created the program, Liberty House, an intensive transitional housing program for women and their children who are experiencing homelessness. As homeless needs within our community changed, the YWCA’s Liberty House program became a permanent supportive housing for women and women with children who are not only experiencing homelessness, but are working through recovery from addiction. Liberty House has provided hundreds of women and children means to regain their independence and empowerment to continue their path to self-sufficiency.

Fast forward to current days, in a moment in time marked by challenges and change, our YWCA is working with more purpose and determination than ever to fulfill our promise to the community. We are dually charged with honoring our history as well as embracing our future. It has been made abundantly clear that our mission, to eliminate racism and empower women, is central to the livelihood of the women, men and children we serve. We set out to strengthen our existing programs – improving lives, inspiring positive change and creating new opportunities.  Our nearly 100 year old building provides us the physical space in which we can make hope possible.

There is much to be done. The power of our work comes from what we achieve together. We eagerly invite our community to join us as we share our vision, commitment and action that make our service to the community possible each and every day.