Over 100 Years!

Since our doors opened in Enid in 1920, we have been on a mission to serve women and girls across all generations. The organization was created during a time when there was great gender inequality towards women and limited opportunities. A time where women were fighting for their rights to vote and couldn’t sit on juries.

YWCA Enid and the women who have led this great institution have always been committed to our local community. In 1920, when YWCA Enid first opened, we provided safe housing for single women, business professional placement, as well as clubs where women could learn new skills, become community activists, and build camaraderie among like-minded women of their time.

The organization grew tremendously during those early years, including expanding our programs. Over the last 100 years, YWCA Enid has provided many opportunities through health, education, business, recreation, child care, and has been a driving force for change; we organized the first interracial programs in Garfield County, initiated the first gymnastics and swimming program for girls, and was a Founding member of the statewide Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

In 1970’s YWCA Enid noticed our communities need for a shelter for woman escaping Domestic Violence and opened a residential home in Enid. It was the first program in the state to open specifically for battered women and their children. Since then, YWCA Enid has helped thousands of victims and their dependents survive domestic abuse. By the early 1980s, YWCA Enid moved their offices at 525 S. Quincy and the Crisis Center changed locations to an 11-bedroom shelter, the largest in the state at the time.

For over 100 years YWCA’s around the world have been on a mission. Together we are creating change and addressing the issues that still plague women today: safety, equal pay, racial justice, and economic empowerment and advancement. Through the generous contributions of so many donors, YWCA Enid continues its mission and works to make an important and lasting impact on our community.

Our vision is to provide help and HOPE in our community.

At its core, HOPE is a positive and optimistic outlook or expectation for the future. It involves a belief that things can improve, even in the face of adversity or uncertainty. It can be a source of motivation, resilience, and the emotional strength to persevere in challenging times. Hope is a fundamental human experience, providing comfort and inspiration when faced with difficulties or when pursuing aspirations and goals.