Greensburg YWCA marks 65th anniversary, plans a year of special events

The Greensburg YWCA is marking 65 years, and the recent anniversary celebration was just the start of the party, according to its executive director.

The YWCA has been an institution in Greensburg since 1959, and its staff wants to ensure that everyone in the region knows they’re here and ready to help.

“We’re a community partner to help not just young women, but really everybody,” said Executive Director Carol Palcic of South Greensburg.

The 65th anniversary celebration kicked off with a reception Jan. 26, capped off by attendees taking a group photo with sparklers, drawing celebratory honks from passers-by on North Main Street. Staff also recognized longtime volunteer Carolyn Falcon, 97, of Greensburg who has been a member of the YWCA since its founding and is a regular at its bridge group.

Palcic said the YWCA’s community programs bounced back in a big way after the covid pandemic.

“We’ve gotten our English as a second language program back up and running, and it’s really going very strong,” she said. “We’ve partnered with the Diocese of Greensburg and the Literacy Council of Southwestern Pennsylvania on that program.”

Palcic said the YWCA’s “TechGYRLS” program, which connects young women with hands-on STEM projects, has gotten back on track and partnered with several local middle schools.

Palcic said a partnership with the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter will result in a youth health fair later this year, and YWCA staff is partnering with Excela Health to host a program for young women about the changes that puberty brings.

In the YWCA basement, a former preschool has been converted into a bookstore that’s open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and the first Saturday of each month.

As far as the anniversary, Palcic said the YWCA is planning at least one event for each month of 2024. Those events will be announced at YWCAwestmoreland.org, and through the organization’s social media.

Palcic said the anniversary is a great way to highlight the YWCA’s ongoing mission and one of the ways to help build and maintain its programs.

“A lot of it is just getting out there and letting people know what the YWCA is, what we do and how we can help,” she said. “We’re out as much as we can trying to collaborate with other community partners.”