Equity & Justice
We are on a mission.
Eliminate racism
Empower women
Promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
We must work together across our many differences to solve the root causes of inequity, and build thriving communities that are equitable, just, and beneficial for all. We are committed to this in everything that we do.
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Services for Partners
Working with community organizations, schools, boards, non-profits, businesses, government and public entities, and anyone who seeks fair, inclusive, and accessible spaces to live, work, and play.
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Digital Equity & Workforce Development
Our partnership with Maine Connectivity Authority that shares a vision for Maine where all of us have the reliable and affordable connection, devices, skills, and online security we need to take full advantage of the economic, educational, health, civic, social, and other benefits that the internet provides. Removing barriers to digital access is our goal!
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Advocacy
The current mission directly names the necessity of eliminating racism in order to empower women, and empowering women in order to eliminate racism. But this took more than a century to arrive at.
Ongoing Events
Stand Against Racism
This biennial public event builds community among those working for racial justice, raises awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in our communities, and provides strategies to root out injustice, transform institutions, and create a world that sees everyone in their full dignity and humanity. Since 2012 we have partnered with community members, activists, organizers, scholars, filmmakers, artists, and organizations in a variety of fields across the state of Maine to move our communities toward collective action for change. Stay tuned for our 2027 event!
Ongoing Events
Women of Achievement
We are endlessly inspired by the dedication of women who create lasting change in their workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. This biennialevent celebrates extraordinary women whose leadership, service, philanthropy, and advocacy strengthen communities in Central Maine and beyond. The event honors individual women who embody the YWCA mission – eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all – through their labor and advocacy. They remind us all of the power of women to shape a more just and equitable future.
Let’s Swim Together!
This program is an ongoing partnership with immigrant-led organizations in Lewiston-Auburn (Djiboutian American Community Empowerment Project and Maine Immigrant and Refugee Services) to expand water safety and awareness in their communities. In the fall of 2024, when the Sustainable Livelihoods Relief Organization reached out to us with concerns about the lack of water safety skills among their youth, we piloted a mixed-gender program with 16 young children. It was so successful that we quickly expanded to include classes for older youth and teens. We’ve been delighted to expand our community partnerships and watch as more of our youth gain confidence and skills in the water!
Ongoing Programming
Accessible Aquatics
We have the only accessible, regulation-sized, year-round indoor pool in a 30 mile radius from Lewiston-Auburn. While we offer robust swim and aquatics programming for all individuals, families, and communities in Central Maine (visit our full Aquatics program here), our mission-driven, pool-based programs focus on closing the gap in access to pools and aquatics programs in the U.S. In a coastal state blessed also with a network of freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers, we want all who reside here to swim freely, safely, and with confidence!
MS Wellness
Women are roughly three times more likely to be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) than men. People of Color diagnosed with MS face greater disease severity and faster progression due to ongoing healthcare disparities. Our MS Wellness program – the first of its kind in Maine – is designed for all who live with MS to integrate aquatics into their care routines, to expand wellness resources, to build community, and to enhance overall health. The idea of a YW patron living with MS, this program was developed in partnership with medical and physical therapy staff at St. Mary’s Hospital, along with support from community partners.
Single Gender Swim
This program teaches all those who identify as women and girls (15 and older) how to swim, while providing the essential privacy they may require for physical and emotional safety, religious or cultural modesty, body confidence, and more. The program offers a comfortable space for community-building across racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, and other differences. Because women continue to serve as primary caregivers, the water-safety skills this program offers to girls and women of color is particularly beneficial given BIPOC communities' historical exclusion from public pools and aquatic sports programs, and resultant higher rates of drowning, in the U.S.
Ongoing Programming
Community-Based Childcare
We know that providing high-quality, safe, and accessible care for children is crucial for working women and families. We believe that all families, regardless of income, should have access to affordable childcare that fits their needs. We do not turn families away. We accept multiple forms of state and federal assistance to help families pay for the care they need. During the COVID pandemic, our childcare center ran safely without closing for a single day. With a local economy driven by healthcare and education, this allowed the essential workers in our community – those who maintain critical infrastructure and services – to continue to provide essential care for our community.
Food Security & Justice
We launched our Food & Nutrition Program in 2017 to address growing food insecurity for families in the Lewiston-Auburn area. We now provide two FREE family-style meals and one “heavy” snack every day to children in our care. We directly address socioeconomic barriers to adequate nutrition by increasing access to fresh, healthy, culturally-appropriate, and delicious breakfast, lunches, and snacks. This includes bringing children to help in our onsite gardens and introducing new foods to expand their food preferences as they grow with us too!