The YWCA of San Gabriel Valley mural is a dominant feature of the
Program Center in West Covina and photos of it are used extensively on
this site.
Want to learn more about the mural?
The History of the YWCA of San Gabriel Valley
In 1935, a group of 30 dedicated women sought to incorporate a YWCA in
the eastern portion of Los Angeles County. They felt that the needs of
women and girls in the San Gabriel Valley were growing with the population
and that there needed to be an organization that would give women the
resources to grow and prosper.
After World War II, the San Gabriel Valley and the surrounding suburbs
of Los Angeles experienced an immense population boom. The YWCA of San
Gabriel Valley decentralized in order to better serve the larger community.
Both the La Verne YWCA and the YWCA of the Foothills in Glendora were
founded at this time.
It was during this time of growth and expansion that the YWCA of San
Gabriel Valley began to offer a variety of classes
and programs to help women enrich their lives and the lives of their
families. Swimming classes, teen clubs, the Eco Espanol Club where members
practiced Spanish, a thrift shop, a Career Clinic for High School students,
conferences on racism, child care, and a variety of volunteer programs
for the poor were the hallmark of the YWCA during the 50’s and 60’s.
The face of the San Gabriel Valley was changing rapidly. As a member
of the world’s largest multi-cultural organization, the YWCA of
San Gabriel Valley was quick to respond to these changes. The YWCA partnered
with other local organizations to address the issues and concerns of people
living in the San Gabriel Valley. During the 70’s, with the help
of local community advocates, the YWCA embarked on a campaign to help
the growing immigrant community learn vital English and job skills while
helping advance a wider cultural awareness in the San Gabriel Valley.
Women were also joining the workforce in record numbers. So in 1972,
the YWCA initiated a new child care program that focused on individual
child development and developing interpersonal relationships in a multi-cultural
community. The YWCA’s Child Services
now serves over 200 children annually through its extended day care and
summer camp programs.
The 1980’s and 90’s saw an expansion of YWCA services that
began to confront the needs of senior citizens and women experiencing
violence at home. The original rape crisis hotline established by volunteers
in the 70’s was quickly expanded to meet the desperate needs of
women suffering domestic abuse. Today, WINGS Domestic
Violence Shelter and Outreach is the second largest domestic violence
center in Los Angeles County. It is the only facility to accept teenage
boys under 18 into the shelter environment, thus keeping the family intact
as much as possible. Today, WINGS Domestic Violence Programs serve over
19,000 women and children annually who come to us for help from all over
the United States.
In 1986, we joined with Intervale Senior Services
to provide for the nutritional needs of San Gabriel Valley seniors. That
service has since expanded by leaps and bounds, serving approximately
1,500 clients every day with urgency case management, reassurance calls,
home bound meal delivery, and services through senior centers all over
the San Gabriel Valley.
The YWCA of San Gabriel Valley faces the 21st Century with a continued
dedication to empowering women and girls and eliminating racism, sexism,
poverty, and violence. The establishment of a Speakers Bureau, along with
a variety of community partnership initiatives, and possible facility
expansion are our current issues. Our past gives us the knowledge that,
come what may, we are a community-based organization that is ready, willing,
and able to tackle the challenges of this century. We look forward to
a bright future, knowing that our hard work and determination will produce
the results we espouse in our mission statement.
History of the YWCA in the United States
For a complete timeline and history of the YWCA in the United States
please visit the YWCA of the
U.S.A History website.
The YWCA literally began as a movement; its name came later. The pulse
of the movement was felt first in England in 1855, and then in the United
States in 1858.
The founders of the movement shared both a common religious background
and the conviction that one should help others. These beliefs motivated
them to identify and respond to the needs of young women.
Women in Boston were the first to use YWCA as the name for their Association
in 1859, even though it opened a year later than what is now the YWCA
of the City of New York.
The core of the YWCA's work over the decades has been the recognition
that not all women, or all people, have been treated equally.
One strength of the YWCA is looking ahead and initiating action when
change is needed. It digs at the roots of a problem to discover long-term
solutions. The testimony of women regarding their unmet needs at each
period in history and the discrimination they face make the YWCA a grassroots
organization, often called upon for legislative hearings and for input
in national conferences because its contribution comes directly from women.
Procedures change; constitution and bylaws are updated; new social problems
arise; new leaders come into office; new technologies change the way organizations
communicate their messages, but the YWCA's concern for all women and girls
and their empowerment has been a motivating force through the years.
Many organizations are working in areas cited in this story of the YWCA,
but the YWCA is unique in that from the beginning it has been owned, led
and managed by women. It has been dedicated to hearing from women who,
as members, can speak on their behalf. The organization advocates on behalf
of women locally, nationally, and internationally.
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