Under One Roof Campaign
The YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts is currently conducting a $4.7 million Under One Roof Phase II capital campaign to fund the construction of a new 12,000 square foot LEED-certified building addition onto the historic Levi Standish House in New Bedford.
Transporting the YWCA’s programs to a new, specifically-designed building will have a significantly positive impact on the disadvantaged children enrolled in our childcare program, the at-risk women in our residential program, and every YWCA constituent as a result of appropriately-designed spaces, controlled and nurturing settings, and a
handicap accessible center-city campus. The YWCA will better serve over 5,250 women and children annually within its expanded Levi Standish House in a more cost-effective manner.
By 2009, the YWCA had successfully raised $800,000 for Phase I of its first-ever capital campaign to accomplish time-sensitive exterior restoration of the Levi Standish House. This imperative watertight integrity and historic preservation work is now complete and earned the YWCA a Sarah Delano Preservation Award from WHALE. Previous to this, the YWCA restored its historic Victorian home that houses its residency program for 10 women in transition. Thus, the YWCA has a strong record of accomplishment and experience in major capital projects.
Now, the YWCA is fully engaged in its $4.7 million Phase II of this Under One Roof campaign, which is driven by the need to achieve the following:
1. Eliminate cost prohibitive lease payments and maintenance expenses on two rented facilities that erode the effectiveness of the childcare and women’s residential programs. The finance committee thoroughly examined five years of increasing lease and utility payments, heavy maintenance and emergency repairs (that the landlords are not able to afford), and administrative costs amounting to over $100,000 annually and determined that an expanded, wholly-owned building would help achieve long-term financial stability.
2. Transport two vital programs from outdated facilities in high-crime areas to the centrally-located property to provide nurturing and inspiring program spaces that are more efficiently supervised and facilitate positive outcomes, especially for those who utilize the women’s residency program.
3. Enable disadvantaged and handicapped populations to have barrier-free access to the Levi Standish House and its new building addition and thus all programs.
4. Establish a Teen Center that will facilitate education, prevention and social programs for New Bedford at-risk teens.
The YWCA celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2011 and it is our objective to have this significant building project underway during this historic year. This will be followed by a ribbon cutting and program relocation in 2012.
YWCA Levi Standish House Tomorrow
The new building addition will include the following program spaces:
The new YWkids center – First Floor
The new, state-of-the-art YWkids center will be a 4,000 square foot, first floor program space carefully and specifically designed for age-appropriate educational activities for as many as 75 children. Its spaces include:
- Project Area (Ages 5-8)
- Library
- Common and Group Activity Area
- Program director office
- Multiple restrooms
- Project Area (Ages 9-12)
- Foyer and Reception Desk
- Café
- Parent and staff meeting room
- Lobby and elevator
This new facility will be a dramatic transformation from the environment in which YWkids currently operates. The center will increase staff and child interaction, and produce higher educational and skill development outcomes. Currently, this program operates in an old school with these chronic issues:
- outdated and unreliable restrooms
- failing heating system
- no cooling system
- poor lighting and limited natural light (barred windows give an institutional feel)
- no computer or library space
- limited office or private space for child/parent meetings
- no handicap access
- no green space
- located in a high crime area
The New Teen Center – Second Floor
YWkids excludes youth ages 13 and up per state requirements. This leaves young teens unsupervised and susceptible to negative opportunities during a crucial time in their development. Due to limited program space, the YWCA is currently unable to increase its after-school programming to recruit and nurture teens who do not have positive after-school activities available to them. Currently, teens residing in the downtown area of New Bedford do not have access to a teen center. While teen programs are available at other locations within the city, neighborhood segregation leaves teens feeling uncomfortable, unwanted and unsafe outside of their own neighborhood. The YWCA’s plan for a nurturing and healthy Teen Center for 75 teens is wholeheartedly supported by the City of New Bedford, which acknowledges the extreme need for supervised spaces for teens.
The new Teen Center will house programs that address the contemporary and complex needs of New Bedford’s teens. This includes literacy and mentoring programs to support a higher graduation rate; prevention programs to address teen pregnancy, substance abuse, relationship and gang violence and bullying; and healthy lifestyle programs revolving around nutrition and recreation.
New Women’s Single-Occupancy Housing – Third Floor
This new addition will include five single-occupancy rooms for ten women residents. The YWCA currently rents a facility to provide housing for low-income women while they transition to self-sufficiency and independent living. This congregate living program offers safe and clean housing for women ages 18 and older with shared common living spaces, kitchen and bathroom facilities. Each woman must make a commitment to stay in residency for at least three months.
The current rented facility has these negative attributes:
- restrooms and kitchen are outdated and unreliable
- common living and dining spaces are too small
- failing heating system and no cooling system
- antiquated fire safety, lighting and electrical systems
- no staff supervision office space
- location is in a high crime area far from the YWCA’s main facility
Public and private investors who have made substantial capital campaign commitments to date include:
The Board of Directors of the YWCA past and present
Numerous individuals and families throughout Southeastern Massachusetts
US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development
City of New Bedford
Massachusetts Historical Commission
MassHousing
The Highland Street Foundation
Henry Crapo Foundation
Amelia Peabody Foundation
Patrick Carney Foundation
Yawkey Foundation
Charlesbank Homes
Olive Higgins Prouty Foundation
The Acushnet Foundation
Citizens Bank
BankFive
1772 Foundation
Grimshaw-Gudewicz Charitable Trust
First Citizens Federal Credit Union
Mass Bankers Association
Agnes Lindsay Trust
Numerous permanent naming opportunities exist for donors who make generous commitments to the YWCA. To learn more about the Under One Roof campaign or to discuss a generous investment into this transformational project, please contact:
Gail M. Fortes
Executive Director
508-999-3255
Leave a Legacy Adopt-a-Brick Campaign
Our Under One Roof Legacy Walkway is made up of engraved bricks that will lead up to the steps of the YWCA’s new building addition, bringing our critical programs that serve women, children and families to a state-of-the-art center-city campus. It will truly be a place of life and history for the YWCA. Bricks along the walkway are available for adoption by families, friends, participants, volunteers, board, staff and the greater community. This is a beautiful way to honor a loved one or leave your own legacy.You can help us reach our goal by purchasing a brick for just $100!
Make a secure donation toward a brick.
50 Businesses Campaign
YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts invites you to become one of fifty New Bedford area companies that will help fund the YWCA’s much-needed Levi Standish House building expansion.
Our fifty businesses will be permanently recognized in the first floor lobby of the YWCA’s new 12,000 square foot building addition. We would be honored to welcome your participation and we ask you to consider a $500.00 tax deductible contribution, which can be awarded over two years, to help support the YWCA’s $4.6 million Under One Roof campaign.
The YWCA is in the midst of a $4.7 million project to restore its historic Levi Standish House and construct a LEED-certified three-floor building addition. The goal of this expansion project is to consolidate its programs onto a safe, nurturing and barrier-free center city campus. The YWCA’s women’s housing and childcare programs will be significantly improved with this new addition. Furthermore, a Teen Center and Women’s Resource Center will be created as new resources for our community. The YWCA will better serve over 5,250 women and children annually within its expanded Levi Standish House in a more cost-effective manner.
Please consider being a part of this project by becoming one of 50 Businesses Under One Roof. We would be thrilled to welcome you, and we thank you for your special consideration of this request for support of the YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts.
Thank you for becoming one of our Fifty Businesses…
1. Fiberoptic Center
2. Century House
3. Amaral’s Bus Company
4. E.W. Burman
5. Jacqueline’s Advanced Skin Care Therapy
6. Brewer Banner Designs
7. Blanchard & Associates; a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
8. Sylvia Group of Insurance Agencies
9. Hawthorn Medical Associates
10. Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home
11. BMC Healthnet Plan
12. Citizens-Union Savings Bank
Make a secure donation toward becoming one of our fifty businesses.
Please Help Us Meet the $25,000 Challenge Grant from Charlesbank Homes for a New Women’s Residency
Dear YWCA Supporter,
I write to ask for your special consideration of a contribution that will help us meet a $25,000 challenge grant from Charlesbank Homes for a new women’s residency at our Levi Standish House. To date we have raised $15,000 towards this challenge grant. We need an additional $10,000 in donations, gifts and pledges to reach our goal.
This 100 year old organization is dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women. Today, the YWCA is in the midst of an exciting and very necessary capital project that will truly transform this vital human service organization and help invigorate New Bedford’s most historic neighborhood for the next 100 years.
In preparation for this LEED certified building addition, we have raised and invested over $1 million into the restoration of our historic and stately Levi Standish House. Furthermore, we have nearly $3 million committed to this $4.7 million 12,000 square foot building project. The architectural package is now being completed so that we may break ground in the spring as further contributions are received.
The $25,000 in contributions will be doubled by the Charlesbank Homes challenge. These important funds will help transport the YWCA’s women’s residency from a rented, outdated building in a high crime neighborhood to a nurturing, carefully designed residency at the Levi Standish House. This project will have a significant impact on the at-risk New Bedford area women who seek safe housing while re-establishing themselves as productive citizens. Moreover, the YWCA will better serve over 5,000 women and children annually when this new building is constructed, and will do so with greater financial efficiency.
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this YWCA, I appreciate your time to consider our request for a thoughtful gift. If you are interested in a tour of the Levi Standish House and a review of our new building plans, please do not hesitate to contact me. On behalf of all the women and children served by our YWCA, I thank you very much.
Sincerely yours,
Gail M. Fortes
Executive Director
Make a secure donation toward the $25,000 challenge grant from Charlesbank Homes