YWCA - Elgin

Located along the Fox River in Kane County, Illinois, the YWCA Elgin has been incorporated as a non-profit community organization for 120 years. Historically the agency has played a leadership and collaborative role in the Fox Valley area, working to achieve positive change in the lives of individuals and the broader community. As advocates and catalysts for change, the YWCA Elgin works to build a united community and increase racial harmony and safety, where women and children acquire the skills and resources necessary to build self-sufficient, prosperous lives and obtain leadership roles that positively influence people and the Fox Valley region as a whole.

The YWCA Elgin is considered to be a focal point of our community. In 1901, we were home to many young women who came to work in the area. Part of their stay included learning proper English skills, etiquette training, and housekeeping. Throughout our history, education has been a cornerstone of our foundation. Today we serve low-income, at-risk youth, and families from diverse backgrounds. Many of the families wrestle with the challenges endemic to impoverished settings, with cascading effects of poor school performances, exposure to gang influences, problems with substance abuse, and other issues. On average 323 adults are enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes meeting 5 days per week, and 65 families and children enrolled in a Family Literacy Program with an ESL preschool, two-year-olds class, infant and toddler class meets 5 days per week. The School-Age Child Care (SACC) program served 84 children in grades K-6, providing a daily support system. We transport children after-school to the YWCA Elgin and are open for working parents on non-school days. For the second year, we provided Citizenship Education and Application Assistance. When the pandemic hit, we were able to pivot programming to offer virtual classes and take-home backpacks filled with supplies for weekly themes. We established a lending technology library and held training sessions to ensure students had access to classes. Additional supports were put in place to assist with participant barriers. We are looking forward to Cinderella’s Closet which offers, free-of-charge prom dresses and all the accessories to the neediest girls (normally serving 300 per year), How to Run for Office-A Women’s Focus, International Women's Day Program honoring women. The 38th annual Leader Luncheon Celebration in May.