The Young Women’s Christian Association also known as the YWCA has played a major role in helping locals during this pandemic.
Long Beach and San Pedro each have a branch. The Long Beach YWCA is a safe haven for women dealing with sexual assault or domestic violence. The San Pedro YWCA provides food for low income or homeless residents, and provides healthcare and childcare services.
Sonia Bailey is the executive director of the Harbor Area and South Bay branch.
“I started with the YWCA as a board member in 2007, and I have been an executive director for 18 months. This particular YWCA is historic. The San Pedro YWCA is the one of the first YWCA’s built in California, and currently, the only one left from the original thirty-one,” said Bailey.
Similar to other businesses, the YWCA has suffered financially, and the hardest part for the YWCA has been adjusting to COVID-19.
“Childcare for example, used to be 17 children per class, so under coronavirus guidelines we are down to 10. Everyone constantly has to wear a mask, and we are sanitizing all day,” said Bailey.
During this pandemic, the need for YWCA has increased, mainly for counseling victims of domestic violence and feeding homeless and low income.
“We are giving out at least 80 bags of food every Friday. We are one of the few YWCA’s that has a food distribution program where local grocery stores donate healthy food, and we give it away. There are always more people than the amount of food donated because we get our food from Trader Joes and Whole Foods,” said Sean Baker, the program coordinator.
Baker started working with the YWCA during the pandemic. He was an event production manager, but COVID-19 canceled events and put him out of work. He decided he wanted to go in a different direction with his life by giving back to the community.
Just last month, both YWCA’s participated in the Human Trafficking Arts Festival, See It End It.
Bailey is a big believer that helping and empowering women and their families changes a generation. The YWCA is now giving out second chance vouchers and assisting women with their resumes.
Next year, the YWCA is launching a racial justice program and expanding on voter registration outreach.
“In the future, hopefully in two years, we will offer housing. This is something we have been working on for a long time and it looks like it will be done by 2022,” said Bailey.
This holiday season, The YWCA also held a Santa Claus Drive on December 12. They handed out presents and allowed for photos with Santa “from a distance.”
Additionally, The YWCA offers to adopt a family for Christmas. They encourage Long Beach and San Pedro residents to donate by adopting a family, meaning that person or family gives their adopted parent a list and the parent buys what they want for Christmas. If interested in adopting a person or family for Christmas, email sbaker@ywcaharbor.org. Currently, 20 families are still in need.