YWCA Southeast Wisconsin history

1901 – Our organization opened another headquarters building at 626 N. Jackson, which was donated by Elizabeth Plankinton.

1946 – The Girl Reserves Group is renamed to Y-Teens to capture the needs of a new generation.

1950 – $75,000 was raised to convert a market into a north side center at 2578 N. 8th Street.

1972 – The National Convention in Cleveland resulted in adoption of the YWCA’s ONE IMPERATIVE, “to eliminate racism wherever it exists by any means necessary.”

1974 – The north side center at 3940 N. 21st Street is renamed the YWCA Vel Phillips Center.

1986 -Our organization adopted a long-range strategic plan focusing on programs to foster economic self-sufficiency for low-to-moderate income women, girls, teens, senior women and single parent headed households.

1988 – The Transitional Housing Program (THP) begins serving homeless women and their children.

1995 – The YWCA Women’s Enterprise Center (WEC) opens – and provides a new location for a one-stop center of services aimed at helping women and their families achieve self-sufficiency.

1996 – Our organization forms YW Works, a limited liability corporation, to help transition individuals from welfare to work.

1997 – Our organization created Generation 2 Plastics, a plastics processing plant supplying injection molding and compounding products to the plastics industry while serving as a workplace skills training center.

1999 – YWCA Greater Milwaukee opens YW Global Career Academy, a public charter school for grades K4 through 5.

2005 – Our organization launched An Evening to Promote Racial Justice with Naomi Tutu as the inaugural speaker.

2009 – Our organization gained full responsibility of Camp Everytown and provided a co-ed experience for youth.

2012 – Our organization, YWCA Greater Milwaukee expanded programming to Racine and changed name to Southeast Wisconsin.

2013 – An Evening to Promote Racial Justice hosted largest audience with Harry Belafonte as the keynote speaker.

Program expanded to Racine in 2017.

2018 – YWCA Southeast Wisconsin expanded Unlearning Racism: Tools for Action© course to Racine and kicked off with 45 participants.

2019 – An Evening to Promote Racial Justice celebrated is 15th anniversary with Maria Hinojosa as the keynote speaker.