This morning, the Franklin County Commissioners announced that they had voted unanimously to provide a $400,000 grant to the YWCA of Columbus to support its Family Center which provides emergency shelter services for families without homes.
“The YWCA of Columbus is a tremendous community resource for Central Ohio,” said Board of Commissioners President John O’Grady. “The YWCA supports women and empowers marginalized communities and provides social justice advocacy and education, as well as housing some of our most vulnerable families in their time of greatest need.”
In 2021, the YWCA Family Center served nearly 1,000 people, including 586 children. The 50-room facility offers safety and support, a place where families can get healthy meals, and a warm, secure place to sleep. Each family in residence has a family advocate who works with them to help the family find stable housing and jobs, and also to refer them other on-site resources such as child care, health care, mental health care, and financial education.
“Every Franklin County family deserves a safe place to stay,” said Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce. “The Family Center not only provides shelter and basic needs for families, but they also provide resources for families to get back on their feet; and they do so with dignity and love.”
The Family Center’s on-site, five-start Step Up To Quality-rated child care program is available to parents so that they can accomplish their employment and housing goals while the center provides wrap-around services to help kids learn and grow so that they are prepared for kindergarten.
“The YWCA is a wonderful partner and an invaluable resource for Franklin County,” said Commissioner Erica C. Crawley. “Many of our neighbors continue to struggle from the effects of the pandemic, but the YWCA shares our goal of ensuring that families have the tools and supports they need not just to survive, but to thrive.”
The YWCA of Columbus was founded in 1886 and works for systemic social change to create a community of peach, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. The YWCA fosters dialogue and provides practical resources and education for the community in order to promote empowerment and inclusion.
“The commissioners’ support of the Family Center comes at a pivotal time,” said Elizabeth Brown, President and CEO of YWCA Columbus. “As our region grows and prospers, we are grateful for the commissioners’ recognition that the families we see at our doorstep have not been able to access that success story yet due to low wages, rent that’s too high, or myriad other factors. This funding will ensure that every family can receive the safety, support, and shelter they need to stabilize and secure housing for the long run.”
The full text of the commissioners’ resolution and grant to the YWCA is available
here. Click
here to learn more about how you can support the YWCA Family Center. If you or your family is in need of shelter, food, or other supports, visit
LSSNetworkOfHope.org.