Fonds F2003 - Kingston Young Women's Christian Association fonds

The Young Women's Christian Association is a world wide Christian organization that originated in 19th century England. It first established itself in Canada at Saint John, N.B. in 1870 and other branches soon followed. The branch in Kingston was organized about 1875. The YWCA provided residence accommodation, recreational facilities and a religious and educational program for young women. These programs, while offered to all young women, were especially for young ladies who were on their own, away from home for the first time. For many city YWCAs this meant providing a home for young women who had come there to work in local businesses. In Kingston, it seems, young Queen's women were frequently attracted to the organization, there was a branch on the university campus and many of them lived in the Y's residence on Johnson Street over the years. During the two world wars the Kingston YWCA was active in war work. It provided help for soldier's spouses newly arrived in the city, ran a canteen on the army base and raised funds for wartime charities. By the 1960's and 1970's, the role of YWCA and YMCA had become more co-educational, and with the closing of their respective buildings downtown, the two organizations amalgamated in a new building on Wright Crescent in the west end of the city.