YWCA and the Resources They Provide

The YWCA of Greater Portland is an organization that focuses on educating the public about racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression to create an equitable world. They not only educate but also provide resources to women, the elderly, and youth from different backgrounds. From domestic violence to providing help for the elderly, the YWCA strides to educate and help those in need.

The Yolanda Project 
On April of 2013, the YWCA created the Yolanda Project where shelters are created to house survivors of domestic violence as most homeless women (1 in 4) are homeless due to domestic violence. They advocate on behalf, or alongside, survivors with public or private landlords who are wary of offering housing to survivors with little resources, inform survivors of their legal housing rights, and administer rapid re-housing and eviction prevention grants for survivors who need some assistance to obtain or retain safe housing. 

The Family Preservation Project
The FDD promotes individual and system level change to reduce the collateral consequences of parental incarceration on children, families, and the community. This program holds 8 services:

• Intensive Family Reunification Program: Provides supervised visitations of mothers and children, and guidance on healthy ways to interact with children 
• Family Resource Center: Provides individual and group based educational services and help mothers regain and maintain relationships with their children
• Monthly Speaker Series: An educational resource where experts discuss various topics such as financial literacy and family laws
• Between The Lines: Incarcerated parents read a book out loud to a recorder then the recording is sent to the child 
• Overcome: Provides women leaving prison with resources and the help to re enter society
• Caregiver Family Support: Provides financial aid and parental support to help the parent not overwhelmed by parenthood
• Enrichment Activities for Children: Provides educational and enrichment activities to at risk children of incarcerated parents
• Public Education Advocacy: Former FPP participants come back and speak about their reflection in their time in the program and the barriers they faced

Senior and Youth Services

The YWCA offers educational services and support to seniors of low income and offer camps for youth and teens. For Seniors, the YWCA offers them and their caregivers support, information, activities, transportation and insurance counseling. For youths, they offer camps for youth, teens, and families to provide fun experiences as well as learning opportunities.

Overall, the YWCA is a great resource that helps those in need and teaches them what they can do to regain a stable life. From kids to seniors, they know it is important to provide the education they need to understand what is important in today's world and keep that knowledge and use it to help themselves and others.

To learn more information and/or donate or volunteer to this organization. Here is the link to their website.

https://www.ywcapdx.org/