YWCA Pierce County Programs
Shelter Services
The YWCA Pierce County operates the largest domestic violence shelter in Pierce County, and was the first domestic violence shelter in the state. Our safe, free shelter provides basic needs for clients and children for up to 90 days. During their stay,clients and their children access individualized case management, education, counseling, support groups, children's services, and 24-hour on site advocacy. The shelter and its related services provide a foundation to create lives free of violence.
Legal Services
The YWCA's legal service program helps adult domestic violence victims and their children in need of civil legal assistance. The legal services team provides civil legal advocacy-based counsel, referral, and representation to victims of domestic violence in Pierce county. Through these combined services, victims increase the likelihood of permanently and safely ending their domestic violence relationships. Encouraged to make their own decisions by our staff, the legal team empowers clients as they establish lives free of violence.
Therapeutic Services
The YWCA Pierce County offers individual and group counseling to adults and children participating in all YWCA domestic violence programs. Additionally, healing, therapeutic art projects are available to the children residing in the shelter. Weekly, facilitated support groups for clients from the community and the shelter are offered to offer healing and self-esteem development for people who have experienced abuse in their relationships.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
The YWCA Pierce County has taken a bold step in meeting clients' needs by expanding our shelter services through the purchase and renovation of a new building which offers a 50% increase in bed space. Moreover, the new building offers clients the peace and dignity of their own individual apartment units instead of the shared, communal space in the previous shelter. The YWCA's Board of Directors was recently recognized with the NonProfit Center's Excellence in Governance Award.
We recently renovated our vacated shelter floors. We created a beautiful, welcoming, healing space for children of Pierce County. It will allow the quality of our services to improve and increase the number of families we are able to serve.