YWCA Columbus To Break Ground at Family Center
Oct. 3, 2023 (COLUMBUS, OH) – On Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at 4:30 p.m., YWCA Columbus will break ground at the YWCA Family Center, marking the beginning of a renovation project that will update several important physical spaces on site there.
“The Family Center is home to the families staying with us, and this project is part of our work to make good on the promise of a welcoming, comfortable environment that truly feels like home,” said Elizabeth C. Brown, president and CEO at YWCA Columbus. “We’re thankful for the generous group of YWCA supporters who’ve dedicated their resources to making this project possible, and we’re delighted to be at the point where we’re ready to kick things off.”
The renovation will reimagine how families in residence at the YWCA Family Center, an emergency shelter on the city’s east side, recreate and relax while creating a greater sense of “home.” Upon completion, new play spaces, sports courts, lighting, sidewalks, and more will spark a sense of play and belonging for everyone from toddlers to teens to parents in shelter.
In 2005, YWCA Columbus responded to a community call to take over emergency shelter and services for families without homes. Many of the residents who call YWCA’s Family Center home are working, yet unable to meet the rising cost of housing in Central Ohio, and women raising children alone. The 50-room center offers families safety, support, and stability, as well as three healthy meals a day and a warm, secure place to sleep.
Each family is assigned a family advocate who assists with housing and job searches. They also support parents through onsite and community-based services, such as childcare, healthcare, financial literacy, and eviction prevention education. In addition, the YWCA Family Center is home to Safe & Sound, a 5-star Step Up to Quality -rated childcare program, that provides wrap-around services to help prepare kids for kindergarten.
“We are looking forward to celebrating all the progress we’ve made so far at the groundbreaking next week,” said Brown, “and we can’t wait to invite the community back into the spaces once they are completed later next year.”
About YWCA Columbus
YWCA Columbus defies the status quo that puts women, people of color, and the underprivileged on uneven footing. By fostering dialogue and providing practical resources and education, we promote empowerment and inclusion. YWCA Columbus initiates systematic social change that will create a Columbus of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.