History

On May 1, 1919, a meeting was held to organize a YWCA chapter in Green Bay. The goal was to provide young women with an appropriate place to meet, rest during their noon hour, and buy lunch at a moderate price. Under the leadership of Miss Euphemia Jane Kay, the first president, YWCA Green Bay-De Pere began operations at the corner of Cherry and Adams streets in downtown Green Bay. Within the first year, 1,500 women had joined. Community leaders pledged $13,963, and national YWCA affiliation was won.

Since 1919, YWCA Green Bay-De Pere has endeavored to meet the changing needs of women and girls in the community: Serving as a luncheon spot, providing job preparation classes, and finding safe boarding houses for working women in the '20s; offering crisis intervention and programs to war brides in the '40s; sponsoring Girl Reserves in the '60s; providing licensed childcare in the '80s; and offering cancer support, teen parenting, and economic self-sufficiency programs in the '90s.

Today, the YWCA remains at the forefront of women's issues, providing programs and services that fulfill its vision of Empowering women and children while providing an environment of racial and cultural acceptance for all.

To learn more about the YWCA of the USA click here.