Mission:
The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg emphasizes the empowerment of women and
children by providing quality services designed to maximize their
spiritual, emotional, educational and physical development. The YWCA of
Grater Harrisburg is committed to eliminating racism, sexism and any other
barrier or prejudice which impedes personal growth. The YWCA actively
serves as an advocate and rescue to the community on issues that impact
women and children.
Violence Intervention and Prevention Services
The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg provides free and confidential services to
victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and their significant
others, including:
-24-Hour Hotline (1-800-654-1211).
-Secure shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children.
-Accompaniment to hospital and courts.
-Individual counseling, support groups, counseling for significant others.
-Immigrant Outreach to provide domestic violence advocacy in Spanish and
Vietnamese languages.
-Rapid Response Team, in collaboration with the local police and DA,
providing immediate support to victims at the scenes of domestic violence
and sexual assaults.
-Family Visitation Center to provide a safe environment for supervised
visits between non-custodial parents and their children.
-Violence Prevention Education for students of all ages and adults,
including professional groups, to educate them about domestic violence and
sexual assault.
Residence Support Services
Housing is one of the oldest programs offered by the YWCA. Housing and
housing support services include:
-Emergency Shelter: 30 days of food, clothing and shelter for homeless
women and their children.
-Transitional Housing: A "bridge" from homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Very low-cost housing, with the added support of counseling, case
management, lifeskills training, and parenting classes.
-Single Room Occupancy Residence: Low cost housing for single women, in
shared suites with private bedrooms.
-Employment & Education Services: Employment counseling, job search skills
training, resume writing assistance, networking throughout community
regarding available employment and training opportunities.
Children and Youth Services
-Affordable all-day and after school child care for ages 8 weeks to 12 years
in two child development centers accredited by the National Association for
the Education of Young Children.
-Before and after school wrap around care for kindergarten through age 12 at
three additional sites.
-Mobile training for child care providers in day care centers or private
home settings. Provided free of charge at the provider's location.
-Summer Day Camp, utilizing two YWCA child care sites, field trips and YWCA
Camp Reily north of Harrisburg.
Americorps VISTA
The YWCA is the site for up to six volunteers from the Americorps VISTA
program to provide grassroots support in"
-Economic Empowerment - GED, ESL classes, employment counseling
-Youth Violence Prevention - Tutoring, mentoring, summer, and after school
activities.
-Community Outreach - Adopt-A-Block, Adopt-A-Lot, Community Bingo, liaison
with other community agencies.
-Low Income Homeowner Support.
