The YWCA was founded January 19, 1908. The organization was founded by churchwomen in the community to help girls coming into the city to work for Reynolds Tobacco Company and Hanes Knitting Company. The building originally was downtown on Main Street. Girls were taught stenography, typing, arithmetic, English, cooking, sewing and millinery.
1909: The YWCA became a funded member of the Community Chest, now known as the United Way.
1916: YWCA opened first lunchroom.
1917: YWCA opened its first pool. A new building was built at the corner of Church and W. First Streets, with clubrooms, dormitory and gym.
1918: A branch YW was established to meet the needs of African-American women. More African-American women were employed by Reynolds than White. The Branch YW served as the first community center for African-Americans in Winston. It housed, at various times, the Better Homes and Gardens Clubs, the Work Project Administration, the Well Baby Clinic and the Carolina Fair Association Committee (run for African Americans.) Horton Branch Library was organized and housed in the Chestnut Street YWCA building.
1930: The YWCA hosted a debate between the Younger Business Girls’ Club and the Business and Professional Women’s Club. The debate topic was “Should a woman whose husband earns $100 or more a month be allowed to work?” (The Younger Business Girls won supporting the notion that they should not be allowed to work.)
The Chestnut Street YWCA held a Christmas party and provided gifts for 2,000 African-American children.
The YWCA employed women and girls to make rag rugs during the Depression.
1931: Mrs. Bryan Booe headed a YWCA committee that worked with local stores to lower the maximum work week to 55 hours and to place stools behind the counters for clerks.
1932: The YWCA accepted land from Fred Hutchins to establish Camp Betty Hastings named for the camp director.
1942: The Glade Street building was dedicated.
1949: The Campaign begins to raise funds to construct a combined Negro YWCA and YWCA building. The building would be the only community in Winston-Salem for African-Americans. Leaders of the campaign said the building would be used for religious purposes and that it would be an important development in race relations. RJR Tobacco Company gave $200,000. The building was shared by the YWCA and the YMCA, but they operated separately, with different staffs and programs.
1953: The Negro YWCA-YMCA at Patterson Avenue opened with a gym and swimming pool. Classes for young women included crafts, cooking and other topics.
1956: The Patterson Avenue swimming pool was dedicated.
1957: The gym and pool at Glade Street opened.
1969: The Marching Bands program begins.
1974: The YWCA Board of Directors votes to merge the Glade Street and Patterson branches to create one YWCA for all women.
1976: Martha Young became the first African-American executive director of the Glade Street YWCA.
1981: Kick off of campaign for Link Building between the pool/gym and administrative buildings.
1983: Project New Start, a program for previously incarcerated women or spouses of incarcerated individuals begins.
1984: Link Building dedicated.
1992: The Empowering Family Center opens on Liberty Street with the focus on helping parents become role models for their children. Presidential candidate Bill Clinton hosts a town meeting at the YWCA.
1997: New addition to the YWCA opens and includes the Chrissy Gallaher warm water pool and a new fitness center.
1998: The YWCA receives the Joel A. Weston Award for Excellence in Non-Profit management.
The Hawley House, previously a freestanding United Way agency, comes under YWCA management and is a new program of the YWCA.
2000: Created the Millennium Village to promote racial dialogue among women of diverse backgrounds and race.
2002: The Best Choice Center, previously a freestanding United Way agency, becomes a new program of the YWCA.
2004: Right Turns for Youth, previously a freestanding United Way agency, becomes a new program of the YWCA.
2007 The YWCA opened its Gateway Branch on South Main Street.
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