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ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SERVICE AND ADVOCACY 1891 -1991 |
| "We never close" is the slogan that might
be placed outside the Young Women's Christian Association, for there is
no hour of the day or night, weekdays or Sundays, when a woman or girl
could notfind entrance to the building .. Travelers stranded late at night,
girls turned out of home, strangers from across the water, have been welcomed
to theftiendliness of the place. Then, if the Association cannot give all
that a girl needs, it sees that she is brought in touch with someone who
can.
"Lowell Telegraph," May 25,1913 From its earliest days in the city, the YWCA addressed
the concerns of low-income women, providing residential, educational, health,
and recreational programs. In 1905, the YWCA proudly opened the doors
of its new building on John Street. This facility offered secure lodging
at nominal fees to women working, studying, or seeking seeking temporary
shelter. It also provided a gymnasium and a spacious dining room
open to the public. In 1976, the YWCA moved to its present location
at 206 Rogers Street, formerly Rogers Hall, an historic girls'school.
This "campus facility" includes administrative offices, classrooms, day-care
and youth centers, a gymnasium and playground, as well as a residence for
women seeking a comfortable, affordable and secure place to live.
From this base, as well as from program sites in the Acre neighborhood
of Lowell and in other communities, the YWCA works to provide services
and to empower women and children, often in coalition with other organizations.
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