The YWCA has provided continuous service to the women and girls of Green Bay, De Pere, and the neighboring communities since 1919.

The YWCA of Green Bay - De Pere was the brainchild of four women: Mrs. W. P. Wagner, Mrs. John F. Martin, Mrs. F. T. Blesch, and Miss Deborah Martin. Their goal was to provide young women with an appropriate place to meet, rest during their noon hour, and purchase lunch at a moderate price.

Within the first year, 1,500 women had joined the YWCA. Community leaders pledged $14,000, and national YWCA affiliation was immediately sought and won.

The new YWCA moved into a building at the corner of Cherry and Adams Streets in downtown Green Bay. The organization remained there for 40 years until moving to its current location on the corner of Madison and Stuart Streets in 1962.

In 2005, the Grand Opening was held for a new 26,000-square-foot wing on the Madison Street facility. The building addition features a ramp entry pool, a larger fitness center and an expanded daycare with a rooftop play area. The extra space allowed the YWCA to expand its programs for working families, low-income women, parenting and at-risk teens, children and seniors. The renovations also enhanced access to the existing building and improved curbside safety for families, senior clients and the handicapped.

The YWCA of Green Bay-De Pere’s current users include 3,000 women, children, and men. It employs 125 full-and part-time staff members and is one of the community’s oldest service organizations. The YWCA partners with a variety of businesses, organizations and individuals in the area to achieve its mission and to help make Northeast Wisconsin a great place for women and their families to live. It maintains its affiliation with the YWCA of the USA, the oldest and largest women’s organization in America, and is part of the World YWCA.