history and accomplishments

Who we are and what we have done.

The formative years of the San Diego YWCA coincided with the Progressive Era (c. 1905-1920), and the Association reflected the aims of the Progressive movement, including political reform, women's suffrage, improvement of labor conditions and consumer protection.

When the YWCA was founded in 1908, San Diego was undergoing one of its periodic recessions with a population of 30,000 – far below that of Los Angeles (more than 300,000) and San Francisco (more than 400,000). In the San Diego of 1908, wages for women were low and 'unattached' women were unwelcome in hotels and restaurants. There were no recreation centers for women, no adult education classes, and no employment bureau. Within a year of its founding, the YWCA provided all of these services and grew into a 500-member organization.

The YWCA grew out of concern for the problems young women were facing such as housing, food, employment and health. A report from the Depression era reflects the difficulties that many women faced during this time: "....a policeman brought in a poorly dressed young woman he had found sleeping on a bench in the park. She said she had gone to Los Angeles to visit her mother. When she returned home to her rented room, she found that her husband had left, taking their few possessions with him. She was completely without funds and without employment, exhausted, and in tears. Arrangements were made for her to stay at the YWCA."

During World War I, in order to meet the needs of servicemen, the YWCA built a recreation center at the northwest corner of 11th and C. The recreation center had a swimming pool, gymnasium, and club rooms where sailors could enjoy recreational activities during their free time. After World War I, and with the help of a bequest from Capt. Benjamin Frees, the YWCA purchased the remainder of the block on C Street and launched a campaign to build a permanent home. Ellen Browning Scripps, a retired newswoman and philanthropist, was the second largest contributor to this campaign. The YWCA building was designed by Frank Stevenson and C.E. Decker in 1926 and reflected the Spanish Renaissance architectural theme made popular by the Panama-California Exposition.

During World War II the YWCA served Navy personnel and defense workers, their wives and children. The YWCA's Information Services were on duty 24 hours a day and a Room Registry was organized to help people find places to stay. During the postwar era, the YWCA organized outreach programs, established recreational programs for teenagers, and offered an array of health and physical activities.

The most significant long-term program of the YWCA has been leadership development and empowerment for women and girls. In 1978, the YWCA of San Diego County established their first comprehensive domestic violence program, Battered Women's Services. Programs and services were designed to aid physically and emotionally abused women and their children by providing access to personal and community resources.

Throughout the 1980s, the YWCA of San Diego continued to aid women in crisis situations by providing shelter for homeless women and their children. The 1990s marked a milestone for the YWCA as both the domestic violence prevention and homeless services thrived and planning began for the creation of Becky's House®.

Today, the YWCA operates four residential programs that have approximately 225 people in residence on any given day. More than 60% of the residents are children. The Becky's House® Emergency Shelter and Becky's House®18-month transitional housing program provide shelter and a continuum of supportive services to women and children who have been victimized by domestic violence. In addition, the agency operates PASSAGES, a two-year supportive living program, which provides single women with the resources necessary to complete the transition from homelessness to independent living. Cortez Hill Family Center is also operated by the YWCA. Cortez Hill is a 120-day case managed transitional housing program that provides a continuum of services to homeless, in-tact families. On October 11, 2007, Mayor Jerry Sanders, along with a host of local dignitaries, celebrated the opening of Becky's House 2. Becky's House 2 will provide an additional 55 transitional housing beds for victims of domestic violence and their children.

More than 70% of the individuals served by the YWCA of San Diego County are successful in obtaining employment and permanent housing, and maintaining a stable, self-sufficient lifestyle. The YWCA continues to be at the forefront of providing services and programs that respond to the needs of women and families.