Written by Rebecca Roberts
For nearly 97 years, the YWCA Wausau has been located in the iconic building on the corner of Fifth & Grant Streets in downtown Wausau.
Multiple generations of women have walked through the Y’s red doors to take part in everything from:
- The League of Women Voters to babysitting classes,
- Teen Town dances to Live Y’ers and the Blue Triangle Club,
- …and so much more!
As the needs of the community have changed, so has the YWCA Wausau.
Women and girls have different wants, needs, and lifestyles than they did in the 20s, the 50s, or even the early 2000s. Finding our way to help women and girls learn and grow is an evolving process.
Today, we find ourselves with a renewed purpose — getting back to serving our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.
Recently, Steven Schmidt with Snapshot Science held the She Science Series here, introducing students from K–8 to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) principles. More planning is in the works to offer programming around everything from girls in technology to women in non-traditional occupations.
We’re excited to have new programs that speak to the changing needs of Wausau, addressing issues that are at the forefront of people’s minds, as well as embracing our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. As such:
- We hosted a town hall meeting with area officials to discuss Wausau’s level of preparedness if we were to have an incident similar to the one that recently took place in Charlottesville, VA.
We also have a series of Shop Talks scheduled, the first of which is Women in Beer, presented by Tami Plourde, Brewmaster for Pearl Street Brewery, on October 10 at 6 p.m. Tami will share her experience working in the male-dominated beer industry to help celebrate women entrepreneurs during Women’s Small Business Month. To register for this event, please call us at 715.842.3381.
With the closing of our childcare program and the listing of our iconic building for sale, there’s been a lot of speculation about our future.
We will proudly tell you…
YWCA Wausau isn’t going anywhere!
Whether we remain in the Grant Street building or relocate elsewhere, we will continue to move forward in our mission.
The YWCA Wausau has never been just a building…
We’re the unbridled spirit of the women who have passed through our red doors and gone on to do great things.
We’re making an impact and advocating for issues that affect members of our community.
That will not change, regardless of our physical address.
We welcome your questions, ideas, and feedback. Feel free to stop in, visit the YWCA website, or give us a call at 715.842.3381.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Rebecca Roberts
Director of Funding & Communication | YWCA Wausau
As the Director of Funding & Communication for the YWCA, Rebecca is right at home with one of her passions: community involvement. She serves on the board of the Merrill Noon Optimists and as a Chamber of Commerce ambassador. She has volunteered as a “Big Sister” and is involved in many other community groups. As a mother of four daughters, she cannot think of a more important or worthwhile goal than empowering women. Email Rebecca Roberts.
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