Our Story
YWCA BC is one of the province’s largest and most diversified non-profit organizations and has supported communities for more than 125 years. We first opened our doors in 1897 as YWCA Vancouver, providing housing and services to women arriving in the city in search of education and employment opportunities.
Since then, our programs and services have expanded well beyond Vancouver to communities across the province. To recognize and celebrate this growth, our name has evolved over time. In 2011, we became YWCA Metro Vancouver, and in 2025, we legally changed our name to YWCA British Columbia to better reflect the scope and impact of our work today.
The YWCA today is not a religious or faith-based organization. We are a secular organization, and we welcome people of all ages, genders, religions and backgrounds. We are committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA); gender inclusion; anti-racism; truth and reconciliation and decolonization; and participant-centred approaches that ensure our programs and services are shaped by the voices and lived experiences of the communities we serve.
While we continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of our communities, we remain guided by our overarching vision: a just and equitable world for women, families, and allies.
With each passing decade, we continue to expand our services and reach with innovative programs and advocacy to address the root causes of inequality. In recent years, we have focused on building safe, affordable housing across the region, and have become trusted advocates in the areas of child care, access to justice and women’s economic security and independence.
