This history is adapted from Her Story: A Chronology of the History of the YWCA of Western Massachusetts, written by Frances Gagnon. It covers the period from the organization's inception to the close of the 20th century.
1868-1880
In 1868, 15 women, representing several Springfield churches, formed the Women's Christian Association (WCA), resolving to “improve the intellectual, social, temporal and spiritual welfare of women, especially young women dependent on their own exertions for support.” The WCA was originally formed as an auxiliary of the Springfield YMCA, yet the women had clear goals for their organization, including the establishment of a boarding house for women. Soon, however, the women realized their goals were different from those of the YMCA and decided to split and form a separate organization. Beginning the long tradition of service to the women of our region, the members of the WCA provided countless volunteer hours to the neediest of Springfield's citizens. They visited the sick, counseled young women and brought comfort to women who were coping with misfortune. Despite a fire that destroyed their building, by 1874, the WCA offered housing, a reading room and a sewing school, which more than 125 girls attended weekly. For many of the young participants, it served as child care while their mothers worked in shops, factories or as servants.
1880-1900
The WCA became a legal corporation with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1882. That same year they opened the city's first Kindergarten, designed for the poorest children in Springfield. Four years later, impressed by the WCA's Kindergarten program, the Springfield School Committee began offering a similar program in the public schools. In 1885, the WCA moved into its own building on Bliss Street in Springfield. The new location provided space for many new programs, additional housing, classes, lectures and counseling. The sewing school offered more extensive programs and a new Employment Bureau offered business courses in typing, penmanship and bookkeeping. They also began offering support groups for both girls and women. The legal name of the organization was changed to the Springfield Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in 1893, becoming a charter member of the YWCA of the U.S.A. That same year they began offering additional classes in cooking, painting and culture.
1900-1920
By 1909, the organization had grown substantially and needed a new building. The organization built a large, multi-purpose facility on Howard Street in Springfield. With the extra space, YWCA programs and clubs increased accordingly. Between 1911 and 1913, the YWCA opened two vacation cottages in the Western Massachusetts countryside. The Rest Cottage in Williamsburg and the Brookside Lodge in Chester provided rest and vacation getaways for women and girls in Greater Springfield. During World War I, the women supported the war effort and served as an industrial watchdog for women in the workplace. They vociferously advocated for employment reforms, especially the eight-hour work day.
1920-1950
By the rise of the Great Depression in 1929, money was tight, but the YWCA not only maintained its current programs, but expanded its offerings to meet the growing need. It continued its vigilance in reporting unfair employers. With World War II came increased YWCA involvement in the war effort. They opened a USO, sewed goods for the soldiers and established a support center for women in the armed services and those with husbands overseas. Near the end of the war, the YWCA responded to community concerns about juvenile delinquency by opening a youth center. It quickly became Springfield's primary youth-gathering spot.
1950-1970
As part of its commitment to the elimination of racism, the YWCA began to address urban and multicultural needs long before such programs became a priority for other agencies. An African-American teacher was hired to coordinate interracial programming and YWCA programs and events were opened to all, regardless of race, religion, ethnic origin or disability. During the 1960s, as society became more open, so did the YWCA. The agency held forums on issues such as: domestic violence, rape, incest and teenage pregnancy. New programs, such as Amigas Homemakers, reached out to the growing minority communities in Springfield. The YW also paid for Meals on Wheels to be delivered to the elderly and shut-in residents of the community.
1970-1980
The 1970s brought significant changes to Western Massachusetts and the YWCA. The membership became concerned about the increasing number of unwed, pregnant teens in the community who had neither medical or emotional support systems. Using its own funds, the YW initiated the Pregnant Adolescent Girl's Education (PAGE) program in 1970. This pioneering project was the first in Springfield to help pregnant and parenting teens finish their education and receive care with dignity. Prior to PAGE, the Springfield Public Schools did not allow pregnant teens to remain in class while expecting, causing most to drop out. Not only did PAGE meet the needs of its clients in the 1970s, but continues doing so to this day. During the 1970s, the YW created other programs to help the neediest of Springfield's residents. Among the programs were: the Female Offender Program (FOP), the Runaway Adolescent Program and the Abuse and Rape Crisis Hotline (ARCH). All three filled a social service need in the community, and strengthened the agency's commitment to serving the critical needs of the women and youth of Western Massachusetts.
1980-1999
The 1980s was a period of transition for the YWCA. Forced to move from its Howard Street home due to spiraling maintenance costs, the agency struggled to meet the needs of its growing client base. However, by learning from its mistakes and improving management, the YWCA not only survived, but flourished as a modern human service agency. By 1986, the agency opened a second battered women's shelter, New Beginnings, in Westfield. In 1987, the YWCA expanded into Hampshire County with the establishment of the Transitional Living Program for battered women in Northampton. In 1988, recognizing its increased presence outside of Greater Springfield, the membership voted to change the name of the agency from the Springfield YWCA to The YWCA of Western Massachusetts. That regional growth continued in 1990, when the agency bought the assets of Sojurn, Inc., a Northampton agency that served adolescent girls. In 1992, the agency opened an office there to help administer the new Hampshire County programs.
In response to the changing state welfare laws and the inherent effects on the teen population, the YWCA responded to a state request for teen living programs 1997. A successful bid for services meant the inception of the YWCA Teen Transitional Living Program with locations in Springfield and Holyoke. In 1998, the SafeBeds Program (rural short-term shelter) in the Hilltown area and the YWCA Youthbuild program were added.
The agency currently operates more than 16 programs at 7 different sites, including: Springfield, Westfield, Huntington, Holyoke, Northampton. The YWCA employs more than 110 men and women and boasts a dedicated and involved membership and board. As they entered the new millennium, the agency prepared to grow once again. In 1999, the YWCA purchased 7 acres of land in the East Forest Park section of Springfield—property that was used for an exciting, new YWCA home. Although the future is never certain, the YWCA is well-positioned to not only maintain its current programs, but to adapt to the changing needs of the women and youth of the region—the same thing it has done for more than a century.