Young Womens Christian Association Of Rochester And Monroe County

Programs: Housing services:each year, the ywca's emergency housing program serves over 600 women and children in crisis. The goals of the program are to help homeless women and families find appropriate housing and improve financial stability. The goal of the trauma informed program is designed to build on each woman's individual strengths. Special emphasis is placed on building the supportnetworks necessary to achieve stability and avoid future homelessness. The ywca's steppingstone supportive living program offers hope and proven results for women in recovery who are making the transition to independent living. Compassionate staff help women take responsibility for their lives and the difficult work of recovery. Affordable housing is nothing without acaring environment. The ywca provides both in 47 comfortable rooms. Many women in this program have called the ywca home for many years. Affordable apartments - quality, affordable housing is critical to women's and family's ability to achieve economic security and to children's ability to succeed in school. Single mothers are at particular risk. A recent report cited that a minimum-wage hourly employee would have to work 102 hours a week to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in rochester.

young adult services:each year, the ywca's young adult services works with more than 350 youth to navigate the challenges of young adulthood and parenting. The young adult services department is committed to providing quality services to youth and young adults throughout rochester and monroe county. The focus of our department is on the health and well being of the people we serve. Ultimately our goal is to support and educate youth to help them lead successful lives. Young adult services offers two primary programs. Parents as teachers (pat) provides services to families to increase understanding of child development and to decrease barriers and challenges many families face in rochester today. Young adult services also works with the city of rochester's comprehensive adolescent pregnancy prevention program (capp), also know as reach inside, strive for excellence (rise) to educate youth within the rochester community on std/hiv prevention and pregnancyprevention.

racial equity:a fundamental belief of the ywca is that women cannot be empowered unless we address the issues of race and racism. We serve more than 1,200 women and families each year in our housing and young adult services programs, with the majority being women and girls of color. The women we serve face barriers of both gender and racial discrimination, which makes our racialequity services so critically important. The ywca is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. We believe the key to real and lasting change is to engage area residents in conversations about the issues, allowing us to open hearts and minds to new perspectives and the richness of diversity. Our goal is to create greater awareness of racism and to give community members ideas, information, and encouragement to change attitudes and behaviors one person and one encounter at a time.