The YWCA is on a mission and the YWCA of Syracuse & Onondaga County, Inc. is making it our own!
The YWCA of Syracuse & Onondaga County, Inc. is proud to be part of the oldest and largest women's movement, providing services for women and their families in our community.
Our local programs and services have furthered the YWCA vision of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people since 1892. Over the past 132 years, our programs have evolved and have included women's leadership and economic empowerment, youth development, and advocacy services. We work to bring out the individual strengths of women and youth and to foster resiliency and self-sufficiency. Our philosophy, in keeping with the mission of the YWCA to eliminate racism and empower women, centers on providing the skills and confidence needed to succeed.
We remain rooted in rich history, but our approach to serving our clients is holistic, strategic and innovative.
To eliminate racism and empower women, we must meet our clients where they are most vulnerable and provide the compassion and services that place them on a path to self-sufficiency and prosperity. This requires a focus on the future, anticipating the needs of our clients, and creating innovative solutions to the problems they most often face - poverty, unsafe living conditions, lack of reliable and affordable youth programming, and under- or unemployment.
Youth Development
The YWCA of Syracuse & Onondaga County, Inc. supports youth ages 5-18 through Girls Inc. at YWCA and YWCA Youth Soccer programs, providing leadership and development opportunities through life skills training. These programs assist youth in developing skills that can lead to better outcomes at home, school, and in the community.
Advocacy
As one of the oldest and largest women’s organizations in the nation, the YWCA has been at the forefront of the most pressing social movements for more than 150 years — from voting rights to civil rights, from affordable housing to pay equity, from violence prevention to health care reform.
Women's Leadership and Economic Empowerment
The YWCA of Syracuse & Onondaga County, Inc. serves the needs of women through the Women's Residence Program, which provides supportive transitional and permanent housing for single women and mothers who are survivors of domestic violence. Residents have access to person-centered and trauma-informed care services.