“It was March of 1920 that the Girls Club of Hanover acted upon a motion to form the YWCA in Hanover.” These words were written in a history pamphlet of the YWCA’s 50th anniversary. The original location in 1920 was 110 Broadway. Over the decades, the location of the YWCA changed several times but was always located near or in downtown Hanover. The programs have changed according to the needs of the community at the time and have ranged from fitness programs for women, gymnastics for girls, dances and clubs for teenage girls, women’s clubs and classes as well as the development of the now essential domestic violence program we call Safe Home.
Our current location and building was built in 1979 specific to the needs at that time. Ten years later, the YWCA purchased the building next door or the “Annex” and added the now infamous “cat walk” connecting the buildings for use of childcare programs primarily. The childcare programs continue to be a large part of meeting our mission of empowering women and serving families.