For more than 25 years the YWCA has been committed to supporting women with breast cancer. Through the YWCA ENCOREplus® program, women under treatment and recovering from breast cancer have access to a unique, combined peer group support and exercise program. The ENCOREplus® program eliminates health care inequalities experienced by women by removing barriers to access and promoting community-based outreach, education, referral to clinical services and support systems.

Program components include:

• Resource, Information and Referral
• After Breast Cancer Program: Helps restore well-being

Encoreplus After Breast Cancer (ABC) Program
A free program providing valuable physical & emotional support to any woman diagnosed with breast cancer.

Emotional Support
Share your thoughts, information, resources and concerns with other women diagnosed with breast cancer at weekly facilitated peer support group sessions. If you are a survivor, please join us:

• Bilingual Group Session: First Thursday of each month, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
• Weekly Sessions: Every Tuesday, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Physical Support
Our weekly aquatic exercise classes are specifically designed to increase upper body strength and range of motion after treatment. Women of all ages and fitness levels can participate and those facing surgical treatment can start as soon as three weeks after surgery. Classes are held:

Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

For more information about the EncorePlus program or to enroll, please contact Nina at 508-767-2505, ext. 3017.

When teens have children, their opportunities are diminished right from that moment, many times resulting in a lifetime of poverty. Young parents need access to programs that provide support and resources to teach them the skills they need to raise healthy children.

The YWCA Central Massachusetts offers support services to pregnant and parenting teens between the ages of 16 and 20 through its Young Parents Program (YPP). Through this program, teen parents and pregnant teens have the opportunity to complete their high school education through a GED preparation program. Teen parents also receive community-based assistance while preparing for their GED such as childcare, case management, life and parenting skills training, job search assistance, career exploration and more.

The Young Parents Program is always in need of volunteers, supplies and technological donations. To give, please contact the YPP Director at 508-791-3181, ext 3028 or email her at hrinaldi@ywcaworcester.org.

When living paycheck to paycheck, a jump in the cost of rent, an abusive relationship, addiction, or an unexpected catastrophe can have a lasting and devastating affect. Each year increasing numbers of adult women are faced with the prospect of homelessness in our community. The YWCA responds to this urgent community need by providing safe, affordable housing with supportive services for adult women striving to improve the quality of their lives, while preparing them for stable housing in the community.

Women in need of short-term housing have access to safe, affordable dormitory style living quarters at at One Salem Square for a few weeks or up to several months. For a modest program fee, each resident has a private room with essential furnishings and access to a community kitchen and living area.

To submit an application to the Transitional Housing program, click here to download the application. You will Adobe Acrobat to view the application.

For more information about the YWCA’s Transitional Housing Program, please email  housing@ywcaworcester.org.

Her-story Fact

• In the late 1880s, the YWCA Central Massachusetts provided “homes” and “room registries” for single women from the countryside who were streaming into the cities seeking employment in the new industrial factories.
• In 1892, the YWCA built the first integrated housing residence for women on Chatham Street.