Programs and Community
Want to participate in 2022’s MLK Day of Service but have no time? Why not support a local Social/Racial Justice initiative like YWCA Hanover’s Acceptance Library?
YWCA Hanover’s Acceptance Library is stocked with books for non-readers, students of all ages, and adults.
Ways to donate Amazon Wishlist or monetary donation.
Click here for the Amazon Wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3J97IC1PVY62J?ref_=wl_share
Donations are accepted below.
The Banned Book Club will meet on Thursday, March 9, at 6 pm at Something Wicked.
Register below. Seats are limited. If, after registering, you are unable to attend, please let us know so we can open the seat.
Amanda Stuckey will be leading our discussion for the evening. Amanda Stuckey is an assistant professor of English at Central Penn College in Harrisburg, PA, where she teaches writing, literature, and humanities classes. Along with pursuing antiracist, inclusive, and student-centered teaching, she is active in St. Mark Lutheran Church, the Southwestern School District, and other local community initiatives.
All Boys Aren’t Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson’s emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to adults.
Register below. Seats are limited. If, after registering, you are unable to attend, please let us know so we can open the seat.
Register here: https://www.ywcahanover.org/blog/2023/01/09/the-banned-book-club/
Diversity and Inclusion in the Elementary Classroom: Click here
For more information call 717-637-2125 or e-mail dsmith@ywcahanover.org
Diversity: Employing a team that’s reflective of the society in which it exists and operates. It incorporates all of the elements that make individuals unique from one another.
Inclusion: Inclusion refers to the behaviors and social norms that ensure that people will feel welcome. Creating an inclusive culture will improve productivity and engagement in the workplace.
YWCA Hanover offers the following workshops:
- Fostering an Inclusive Climate
- Unconscious Bias
- Custom Workshops
Instructor: Deb Smith
YWCA Hanover’s Social/Racial Justice Coordinator
After 34 years, Deb retired from the Hanover Public School District as a music/theatre teacher. She holds a BS in Music Education from Millersville University, MA in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Gratz College, and a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.
For more information call 717-637-2125 or e-mail dsmith@ywcahanover.org
- Basic Women’s Rights
- Definitions of Abuse
- Why It’s Hard To Leave
- Families and Children
- Healthy Boundaries
- Coping with Emotions ofGrief, Fear, Guilt, and Anger
- Assertiveness Skills andTechniques
- Healthy Relationships
- Building Self-Esteem
- Self-Evaluation of PersonalNeeds in -Relationships
Fall 2023 dates: September 30th – October 28th 2023
- Program Date: Meets Saturdays
- Program Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
- Program Location: YWCA Hanover
Register for Fall 2023 here: https://www.ywcahanover.org/girls-loving-life-registration/
Girls Loving Life is for girls grades 2-8 & youth mentors for grades 9 -12. This program seeks to inspire, encourage, and motivate young girls in our community to love themselves and value each other! Girls Loving Life was created by YWCA Hanover.
This is a free program, and space is available for:
Girls in grades 2-8 participate in activities, friendships, and fun.
Girls in grades 9-12 participate as mentors, role models, and youth leaders.
Girls Loving Life focuses on five tenets to build self-esteem, encourage kindness, and help girls develop resiliency, grit, and compassion:
Love your body: living your best healthy life
Love your soul: valuing and accepting yourself
Love others: being kind, accepting, and contributing to the community
Love to learn and grow: taking risks, facing challenges, and being a lifelong learner
Love life: celebrating and enjoying each day
“Teaching the girls of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.”
YWCA Hanover Music in the Morning with Deb Smith
Music in the Morning will be offered on Saturday, March 25th, from 9 am -11 am.
Students ages 5 thru 10 are invited to play musical games, make an instrument, and enjoy a snack. Cost is FREE, and space is limited to 12 students. Register below.
Proud Families – YWCA Hanover in partnership with Pride Hanover
Connect with other LGBTQIA+ families in the Hanover Area, share resources and advice, and create a more welcoming environment in the Hanover community, Safe Space for learning & growing.
For information call 717.637.2125 or e-mail Deb Smith at dsmith@ywcahanover.org
Free Event for LGBTQ+ youth ages 14-21 and their allies. Families welcome.
For information call 717.637.2125 or e-mail Deb Smith at dsmith@ywcahanover.org
For information call 717.637.2125 or e-mail Rosemary Cintron at rcintron@ywcahanover.org or Deb Smith at dsmith@ywcahanover.org
Coming in January 2023

Shero Referral Form
The goal of YWCA Hanover’s Social/Racial Justice Program is to create a more inclusive and welcoming community. Through education and discourse, we hope to foster sustained civic engagement leading to positive change on issues related to racial and social inequity.
Our Social/Racial Justice pages can be found here: Click Here to get involved

A fee of $25 covers all three days, bus transportation to and from the museum, snacks, materials, and a summit tee shirt.
Scholarships are available for those in need.
Register and pay online at www.ywcahanover.org no later than May 19 to ensure your spot.
Open to incoming 9th-grade students thru outgoing 12th-grade students.
Day One and Two – Hanover
Dr. Todd Alan: Vice President for Diversity Affairs, Messiah University. Founder of the Common Ground Project, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching the history of Civil Rights.
Vicar Carla Christopher: An ordained minister and award-winning author, public speaker, curriculum developer, and workshop facilitator/trainer in areas of anti-racism, LGBTQIA+ affirmation, community advocacy and activism, diversity/equity/inclusion, and cultural competency.
Keisha Finnie: Her work explores the journey of evolution as an artist and a woman of color, interpreting her personal experiences and observations, nurturing and visualizing her determination and resilience through touch and a strong, vibrant color palette.
Day Three – Washington DC
Bus trip and tour of National Museum of African American History and Culture
Register here
YWCA Hanover Acting Troupe
This group will perform plays locally in the Hanover community.
For more information, please contact Deb Smith at dsmith@ywcahanover.org
Children ages 5-10 years are invited to spend once a week working with puppets, playing theatre games, acting basics, improvisation, and performing skits. Snack is also included. The cost for the class is $45.00 per child.
Mondays: March 6, March 13, March 20, April 3, and April 10.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED Click Here
Questions? Contact Deb Smith at 717.637.2125 or dsmith@ywcahanover.org
YWCA Youth Leadership Council
Upstanders Leadership Council is open to any individual in grades 7 – 12 who has an interest in creating positive change in our community. The supervisory board is comprised of YWCA Hanover staff in partnership with area school district teachers, administrators, and volunteers.
Questions? Contact dsmith@ywcahanover.org
In 1920 women won the right to vote.
Don’t waste it.
For Voter registration and information follow one of these links:
PENNSYLVANIA VOTER Services
YWCA Hanover is pleased to announce the availability of applications for the “YWCA Hanover Scholarship”. Applications are also available at YWCA Hanover, 23 W. Chestnut St., Hanover, PA 17331, and online here: YWCA Hanover Scholarship Instructions and Application
Applications are now being accepted for this award and are due March 1, 2023, by 5 PM at YWCA Hanover. A selection committee will review the applications in light of the criteria for this award. Applicants for this scholarship should carefully review page one of the attached documents to ensure requirements are met prior to application submission.
The purpose of introducing the YWCA Hanover Scholarships is to provide support to students desiring to pursue higher education. The scholarship aims to grant financial benefits to qualified students. The scholarship empowers and encourages Hanover area youth to believe in hard work, achieve success, and overcome various hurdles of life.
For full consideration of the YWCA Hanover Scholarship, all applications and supporting documents must be submitted to YWCA Hanover by March 1, 2023, by 5 PM at YWCA Hanover.
For all inquiries, please get in touch with Jody Shaffer, Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Hanover at jshaffer@ywcahanover.org.