YWCA McLean County Timeline<\/p>\n
1908\u00a0\u2013 City charter granted and first YWCA McLean County location opens on West Monroe Street in Bloomington, where members begin their mission of empowerment. The cafeteria provides \u201chealthy food\u201d to area women. \u201cRest rooms\u201d provide a respite from the \u201coutside world\u201d for early working women. Physical activity is encouraged. Babysitting services are offered. Girl Reserves founded as mentoring program for teens.<\/p>\n
1921\u00a0\u2014 Demonstrating the purchasing power of women, the YWCA buys its first property at Jefferson Street, complete with a swimming pool and cafeteria.<\/p>\n
1929\u00a0\u2013 Mary Lou Quinn of the Illinois Women\u2019s Athletic Club of Chicago sets the unofficial world record for the 150-yd freestyle at the YWCA pool.<\/p>\n
1929\u00a0\u2013 Problems of \u201cunemployed girls\u201d to be studied.\u00a0 YWCA leaders are concerned about girls going to other cities looking for work without knowledge of the job market, or living conditions.<\/p>\n
1930\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA joins several other organizations to establish the area\u2019s first large community camp, East Bay Camp at Lake Bloomington.<\/p>\n
1932\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA offers unemployed girls of the community free \u201cemergency\u201d programs in psychology and swimming.<\/p>\n
1940\u00a0\u2013 YWCA offers square dancing and badminton, each for 35\u00a2<\/p>\n
1943\u00a0\u2013 YWCA continues its focus on women\u2019s health by providing first-of-their-kind training classes for McLean County teachers on how to teach physical education to female students.<\/p>\n
1942-1943\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA McLean County answers Uncle Sam in many ways. On Sundays the pool opens to men in military service who are on leave in Bloomington-Normal. Monthly military dances are hosted, convoying 100 soldiers from Chanute field. Meeting is sponsored on becoming a Women\u2019s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) for area women.<\/p>\n
1945\u00a0\u2013 Adult education classes range from typing to \u201cthe mysteries of atomic energy and its societal and scientific implications.\u201d<\/p>\n
Late 40s\u00a0\u2013 YWCA members, including the only African-American board member, hold \u201csit ins\u201d at area \u201cwhites only\u201d restaurants, including the YWCA\u2019s own tea room.<\/p>\n
1950s\u00a0\u2013YWCA adds tumbling, baton twirling, tennis and reupholstering classes to its roster.<\/p>\n
1951\u00a0\u2013 With divorce on the rise, the YWCA offers premarital courses covering the \u201cphysical, psychological, religious and economic aspects of marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n
1952\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA invites the Director of the Chicago Commission on Human Relations to discuss a race riot in Cicero that happened when an African-American moved his family into the all-white community.<\/p>\n
1955\u00a0\u2013 Caribel Washington named first African American President of the YWCA McLean County.<\/p>\n
1968\u00a0\u2013 Volunteers begin delivering \u201cMobile Meals\u201d to Twin City aged and handicapped.<\/p>\n
1970\u00a0\u2013 Planned Parenthood office opens a temporary office at YWCA.<\/p>\n
1973\u00a0\u2013 The organization changes its name from Young Women\u2019s Christian Association of Bloomington to Young Women\u2019s Christian Association of McLean County.<\/p>\n
1976\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA\u2019s current Hershey Road location opens for business.<\/p>\n
1970- 80s\u00a0\u2013 Growth of Senior Services programs and fitness programs designed for people over 50. Programming includes RSVP, Home-based Services, advocacy and the establishment of senior centers at Miller Park and at Illinois State University\u2019s Newman Center. Innovative fitness classes, like water aerobics and belly dancing, are added.<\/p>\n
1987\u00a0\u2013 YWCA McLean County establishes the first before-and after-school program in the area at Bent Elementary School in District 87.<\/p>\n
1990\u00a0\u2013 First local Women of Distinction recognition program.<\/p>\n
1990\u00a0\u2013 YWCA facility on Hershey Road is expanded.<\/p>\n
1990s\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA adds Diversity Training and Study Circles to educate members of the McLean County community about racism.<\/p>\n
1994\u00a0\u2013 Week Without Violence begins nationally.<\/p>\n
1997\u00a0\u2013 Wheels to Work is established from a community collaboration looking at barriers faced by low-income residents to work. The YWCA begins providing transportation on Sundays, helping workers get to their jobs when public transportation isn\u2019t available.<\/p>\n
2002\u00a0\u2013 YWCA Hershey Road undergoes a second expansion.<\/p>\n
2002\u00a0\u2013 Stepping Stones, providing 24-hour assistance to victims of sexual assault, takes its first call.<\/p>\n
2002\u00a0\u2013 Local YWCA leaders work with other YWCAs on the Change Initiative, a grassroots movement to change the structure of the national YWCA organization.<\/p>\n
2006\u00a0\u2013 The organization changes its name from Young Women\u2019s Christian Association of McLean County to YWCA McLean County.<\/p>\n
2007\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA adds Medivan service, providing transportation for local residents to and from non-emergency medical appointments.<\/p>\n
2008\u00a0\u2013 The YWCA McLean County celebrates its 100th anniversary.<\/p>\n
2009\u00a0\u2013 Becky Hines named YWCA Great Lakes Alliance Region Executive Director. Jane Chamberlain named CEO\/president.<\/p>\n
2011\u00a0\u2013 Smart Sprouts Mentoring program begins. Girls Be U program begins. Health and Fitness Closes.<\/p>\n
2012\u00a0\u2013 23rd Women of Distinction Awards program has largest attendance ever (737). Jane Chamberlain resigns as CEO\/president. Ruth Ann Fraker named Interim CEO\/president.<\/p>\n
2013\u00a0\u2013 D. Dontae Latson was named the first male President & CEO of YWCA McLean County.<\/p>\n
2013\u00a0– YWCA McLean County introduces new name for Child Care programming…Young Wonders: Early Learning & Youth Development<\/p>\n
2014\u00a0– YWCA acquires Money Management program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
YWCA McLean County Timeline 1908\u00a0\u2013 City charter granted and first YWCA McLean County location opens on West Monroe Street in Bloomington, where members begin their mission of empowerment. The cafeteria…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":54,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":138,"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/68\/revisions\/138"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/54"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ywcamclean.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}