women's collaborative project

blue triangle company
The Blue Triangle Company is a program that provides opportunities for women to acquire new skills and refine basic work habits in a supported job situation. This innovative approach to gainful employment is based on the trainee learning through doing every aspect of a business managed by a staff of permanent employees. Each trainee has a personalized development plan from intake (hiring) through resume and interview preparation (resignation) to transition into the general work force. At the same time, this for-profit business is structured to generate some support for other programs of the YWCA.

The Blue Triangle Company’s focus is on assisting women with learning or relearning job and life skills lost through different lifestyles or poor choices earlier in their lives.

Components of the program include:
• Job Skills Training
• Paid part- time employment
• Resume preparation
• Community connections
• Supported job searches

Services provided by the Blue Triangle Company:
• Color Copies
• Black and White Copies
• Fax Service
• Notary Public
• Shredding
• Collating
• Binding
• Formatting
• Laminating

residential services
The Women's Collaborative Project provides residential and supportive services for women. A Woman’s Place and Another Woman’s Place provides single-occupancy housing in a congregate living model for low-income women.

The YWCA has been serving women and girls in Southeastern Massachusetts for over 90 years. Historically, we have assisted with childcare, housing, wellness programming, political and economic advocacy. Today we continue to be a multifaceted organization empowering women and girls to economic self- sufficiency and working towards the elimination of racism.

The Women's Collaborative Project is the newest department of the YWCA developed in response to homeless women and their needs:
• Housing
• Job readiness and training skills

These beautiful old homes are located in New Bedford and focus on single room housing for women.
• A Woman’s Place: 347 Pleasant Street, New Bedford
• Another Woman’s Place: 396 Middle Street, New Bedford

This program is open to women 18 years and older who are employed or attending school full time or a combination of both. Each woman that enters “A Woman’s Place” or "Another Woman's Place” will have:
• A clean secure bedroom (fully furnished).
• Access to several common area rooms that include television, cable and local phone service.
• Use of a fully equipped kitchen and bath.
• Membership to a nationally recognized women's organization.
• Supportive environment.
• Well maintained facility.

Admission criteria includes:
• A completed application.
• Non- refundable application fee of $20.00.
• A commitment to stay a minimum of three months.
• Full time employment, education commitment or a combination of both.
• Interview with Residential Director.
• Applicants are considered based on availability and compliance to the aforementioned criteria.

A Woman’s Place is funded in part by the James Arnold Fund, New Bedford Housing Authority, United Way of Greater New Bedford, and the Women’s Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts.

Another Woman’s Place is funded in part by the New Bedford Housing Authority, United Way of Greater New Bedford, and the Women’s Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts.

For more information or to enroll in the program, please contact Annamarie Lopes at the YWCA: 508-999-3255 or by email: alopes@ywcasema.org.