The YWCA has a rich history in St. John’s dating back to 1925.  After 50 years operating as a YWCA, the organization merged with the local YMCA in 1975.  After nearly 40 years of joint programming, in 2012, the local YM-YWCA of Northeast Avalon ended its affiliation with the national YWCA movement.  Concurrently, women in the community came together and voiced the need for a continued and revitalized YWCA presence in our city.  YWCA St. John’s now proudly embraces a local history spanning over nine decades.

With a history of over ninety-five years in this region, YWCA has long been an integral part of the local community and has demonstrated a commitment to girls, women, and their families. As a women-led service organization, our programs and services are aimed at empowering and facilitating access for women and girls, with a focus on assisting women and girls to achieve the rights, resources and opportunities to shape their own lives and define their communities. We work towards the improved status of women locally and through our affiliation with the YWCA Canada and World YWCA. 

90thCrest

Celebrating our 90th Anniversary

In 2015, YWCA St. John's celebrated 90 years of empowering women and girls with programming that helps them develop socially, politically, and professionally. By giving women a space to speak and learn about themselves and about the world, YWCA St. John's has been nurturing and mentoring young women since its inception in 1925. While our local work has always been tailored to the community's needs and to the present day, we also work in affiliation with YWCA Canada and World YWCA with the shared vision of improving the lives of women and girls.

Click here to see a photo gallery of our archives.