Mission

Eliminating racism
Empowering women and girls
Promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all

Racism and sexism are rooted in beliefs that place greater value on some people and less value on others. In doing so, they make it acceptable to discount the humanity of a person — to ignore their inherent dignity, to deny their autonomy, and to obstruct their access to power and resources. In this way, racism and sexism give rise to domestic and sexual violence which pose some of the greatest threats facing women and marginalized communities.

Economically, socially, and politically empowering everyone requires an equitable, just, and sustainable society. We envision a community that embraces diversity, creates a safe and empowering environment for all women and children, and celebrates peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people.

To that end, the YWCA West Central Michigan transforms lives through public policy that translates our mission into law, and expert, on-the-ground programming that represents our community’s most comprehensive response to domestic and dating abuse, sexual assault, stalking, and child sexual abuse.

Values

Fundamental to our mission and our work is our belief in the interconnectedness of all people and the inherent value of every person.

To honor those beliefs, we:

• Practice empathy.
• Learn first, then teach.
• Listen courageously without ego to those things which are hard to hear.
• Act with transparency.
• Promise accountability to our mission, one another, those we serve, our supporters, and our community.