Breaking New Ground for Women and Girls since 1883

1883- The Women’s Christian Association of Rochester, the group that later became the YWCA, opens a boarding house at 37 N. Fitzhugh St. for employed, self-supporting women.

1886- Opens an employment bureau for women.

1888- The organization continued to grow, acquiring several additional properties, including the property at 175 North Clinton Avenue, where the organization is still located. Rooms were available for one dollar a week.

1888- Offers the first gymnasium classes for girls in the area.

1889- Opens a lunch room to provide access to inexpensive yet healthy meals for YWCA boarders, although women working in nearby shops were also encouraged to participate. A full meal cost 11 cents, 10 cents if you were a YWCA member.

1903- The organization officially changes its name to the YWCA of Rochester.

1907- Opens the first cafeteria in Rochester, initially located on Aqueduct Street, to provide inexpensive meals for employed women.

1912- Opens the first girls’ camp in the area, Camp Wacona, near Sea Breeze.

1917- The top two floors of Franklin building used for beds during the flu epidemic and many women and girls who had taken Health Education classes at the YWCA assisted nurses caring for the sick.

1922- Officially establishes the Clarissa Street Branch, the first social center for colored women and girls in Rochester, with rooms available for women employed in the city. Race relations committee offers Interracial Sunday Services.

1951- YWCA of Rochester becomes fully integrated.

1969- Opens Schoolage Parents program, providing support services for pregnant and parenting teens in Rochester City Schools, enabling teens to continue their education.  This program is still offered today.

1972- Opens the first program in Rochester for women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. The YWCA continues to provide supportive housing for women in recovery and their children.