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DID YOU KNOW...

The YWCA of Boulder County is part of a global organization uniting
25 million women in
120 countries.

About the YWCA: A Brief History

The YWCA of Boulder County has provided important human services to women, children and families for over 80 years. The agency was started in 1922 by a small group of women associated with the First National Bank of Boulder. The group saw a need to organize and take action on social issues concerning women, particularly around housing, employment and childcare.

The first order of business for the new YWCA was to establish safe, on-campus housing for women students at the University of Colorado. At a time in history when educational opportunities for women were not considered a priority, raising money was no easy task. This was a passionately determined group of women, however, who eventually turned their vision into a reality. By the mid-1920s, the YWCA dormitory opened its doors, eliminating an obstacle for young women eager to educate themselves.

By the mid-1930s, Boulder, like the rest of the country, was in the midst of the Great Depression. At this time the YWCA of Boulder County, which depended on members for funding, was forced to close its doors. Fortunately, the agency had attracted the support of many women leaders in the community who continued to meet and plan for the day the YWCA would once again open its doors to serve its community.

After World War II, when the economy rebounded, this committed group of women went to work. In 1958 they purchased the building, near downtown at 14th and Mapleton, that continues to house the YWCA of Boulder County today. The building was purchased from St. John’s Episcopal Church and once served as a Sunday school and theater office.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, YWCA programs focused on educational services for women who stayed at home. Traditional classes in childcare, cooking, sewing, basket weaving and other homemaking topics were offered. The YWCA of Boulder County quickly became a popular gathering place for women to meet and socialize. Tea parties at the YWCA were once a social highlight for many women in the Boulder community.

By the late 1960s, Boulder was swept along with the rest of the country by a radical shift in social consciousness. With the Women’s Movement, the YWCA of Boulder County experienced a rift between members who were more comfortable with the traditional role of women in society and those who sought change, equality, and new opportunities for women. It was at this time in history that YWCA leaders began to seek financial support from sources other than membership, and the YWCA of Boulder County changed its emphasis to provide important human services to low-income women and children.

To this day the YWCA of Boulder County’s emphasis remains the same. It is a human service agency offering services to help women and their families gain self-empowerment and success through programs designed to protect children, empower women and girls, and eliminate racism.