YWCA Evanston/North Shore unveils capital campaign for renovations and new shelter

YWCA Evanston/North Shore publicly announced this week a capital campaign titled “YWCA Campaign for the Future: Building More Equitable Communities.”Funds raised from the campaign will support YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s campus expansion and renovations, which include a new domestic violence shelter and family support center at its Church Street location. The organization broke ground on the project in early 2020 and expects to complete it this summer.The capital campaign goal is $18.5 million and, according to Karen Singer, CEO and president of YWCA Evanston/North Shore, over $17 million -- 92 percent -- has been raised through the “quiet” phase of the campaign.“We are now launching the ‘community’ phase of the campaign,” she said. “We are grateful to the more than one hundred lead donors who have already given. However, there are many more in the area who have a history with us – through programs like domestic violence services, women’s economic empowerment, Flying Fish Aquatics, or our racial justice work – who may also want to engage in this project.”She added, “We’ve been a part of Evanston and surrounding communities for 90 years, so we feel a sense of partnership and responsibility to share what we’re doing and give people the opportunity to play a role. There are so many stories of how people have been touched by the work of the YWCA over the years. We want to honor that.”YWCA’s campus expansion and renovations will double the capacity of its domestic violence shelter and add increased space for its growing workforce development and equity programs.Those interested in learning more about the campaign and how to give can visit YWCA Evanston/North Shore’s website at www.ywca-ens.org/campaign/ or contact Kathy Slaughter, chief development officer, at kslaughter@ywca-ens.org or by calling 224-420-3272.