Ywca Northeastern Massachusetts

Youth services the Ywca offers an array of affordable youth services designed to promote academic achievement, family unity, leadership, and physical fitness with sites in lawrence and haverhill. Programs include: year-round, naeyc-accredited infant and toddler child care for ages one month to 2.9 years; literacy based early learning center for children ages 3 to 5, assuring kindergarten readiness; year-round after-school and out-of-school care for youth ages 5 to 14 including academic support, recreation and fitness, and family activities. All child care is subsidized and licensed by the state of ma department of early education and care. Other youth programs include camp y-wood summer day camp on captain's pond in rural salem, nh; gender-specific programs for girls to increase leadership capacity, school persistence and the ability to make healthy choices.

Victim services the Ywca provides transitional housing to women who are survivors of domestic violence and their children. Residents may remain for up to 24 months, during which time they gain the skills to obtain economic self-sufficiency and safe, permanent affordable housing. Other services include an emergency shelter for women and their children fleeing domestic violence; free counseling, court advocacy; service linkage and hospital accompaniment for victims of sexual abuse/assault and domestic violence; free counseling to child victims of sexual assault/abuse from throughout essex county; workshops to prevent teen dating violence and promote healthy relationships; operation of the yw north shore rape crisis center serving 25 cities and towns on the north shore of boston; workshops and training to help police officers, court employees and service providers better understand and address issues related to domestic violence and sexual assault/abuse.

In addition to the domestic violence emergency shelter and transitional programs the Ywca offers two single resident occupancy programs [sro] in haverhill and lawrence. The sro programs are a permanent housing option for single women who have become homeless as a result of domestic and/or sexual violence, mental health issues or substance abuse, and who do not have children living with them.the sro programs consist of 10-private rooms at each of our two locations, with shared kitchen, living room and bathroom facilities. Women living in this residence program receive vocation counseling and case management services and may live there permanently.also at the Ywca fina house, we offer seven apartment-style units specifically for qualified, low-income residents. Two of these units are specially designed to accommodate persons with special needs or disabilities. All seven apartments are available as permanent housing for residents, which may include single or double head-of-household families.being a resident of fina house, residents may choose to participate in community-building events and celebrations, as well as receive offered social services.

Health promotion - the Ywca women's health advocacy program links low-income women in lawrence to healthcare services while working to decrease barriers to health and wellbeing experienced disproportionally by minorities and low-income residents. All staff are bilingual, to better service the primarily latino population of lawrence. Services include: the latina breast health initiative with lawrence general hospital, which has increased the number of latinas making and keeping mammogram appointments; healthcare charlas, or small group meetings in comfortable settings hosted by Ywca health ambassadors to increase health literacy and promote healthy behaviors with a focus on breast and cervical health; chronic diseases such as diabetes, to manage their own health and lead productive lives.

Fina house, llc expenses