Our Story
Shaping our community: One act of kindness at a time
1+
years of continuous operation in Lethbridge
1
beds for women and families to find safety
1+
individuals served each year
YWCA Lethbridge & District was founded to build a safe, inclusive community for all.
How We Help
We help women & families struggling with:
- Housing
- Homelessness
- Poverty
- Domestic and sexual violence
We encourage young women to embrace:
- Leadership
- Volunteerism
- Youth empowerment
- Health & wellbeing
Mission
We are a charity facilitating the empowerment of women, children, and families by providing safety, support, and informed advocacy.
Vision
YWCA Lethbridge & District reshapes gender-based power structures and paves the way for a future where women, children, and families thrive through inclusive and accessible services.
Our history
1945
- W. “Billy” Lamb, the city truant officer, highlights the lack of resources for girls
- The Ladies Organization for Civic Improvement and the Lethbridge Community Council begin planning a girls’ residence
1949
- Permanent Board of Directors created
- $1,500 raised in a membership drive is used as a down payment to purchase two houses at 604 – 8th Street South
1951
- Young Women’s Christian Association of Lethbridge and District registers as a society
June–July 1949
- Fundraising campaign launched
- By the end of July, $32,016.95 is raised, with $1,214 in pledges
- Renovations begin to convert the properties into a 35-bed residence
1950
- By January, 8 girls are already living at the residence
- Open House held and memberships are sold for $1.00
1951
- YWCA Lethbridge & District is officially registered as a society with a permanent Board of Directors
1954
- A new three-storey YWCA House is built, combining the Bathe and Dr. Gibson houses
1960s–1970s
- The YWCA expands community programs like:
- International Tea (featuring food and dance from many countries)
- Housewives Holiday Bridge games
- Educational and recreational programs for women and youth
- The YWCA expands community programs like:
1970
- Promotional efforts grow, including advertisements in the Lethbridge Herald
- Harbour House is established
1983
- Major internal renovations and updates to the red brick building
- Facility becomes the four-storey landmark it is today
1990s–2000s
- Community partnerships continue with consistent support from organizations like the Elks Club, Beta Sigma Phi, and city officials
2024 Hope Transitional Housing opens
- Adds 12 transitional beds for women and families coming from crisis/emergency situations
- Part of broader housing continuum in Lethbridge
Current Programs
- Harbour House (Est. ~1970s): Emergency shelter for women and children (24 beds, short-term stay up to 28 days)
- Hestia Youth Homes: Semi-independent housing for youth aged 17–25 (9 beds in 3 homes)
- Neighbourhood Play Program: Free, drop-in summer childcare in Lethbridge parks
- Childcare & Visitation Services: Trauma-informed support for mothers and supervised visits
- Hope Transitional Housing: Safe, stable housing support for women and families (long-term, up to 18 months)
- Stockings of Hope: Community support initiative that sends gifts to participants during the holidays
The YWCA
As a member organization of YWCA Canada, we are part of Canada’s oldest and largest women’s multi-service organization. Through YWCA Canada, we are connected not only across nine provinces and two territories, but worldwide, uniting 25,000,000 women and girls in 125 countries.
