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Young Women's Christian Association of Kitchener-Waterloo fonds.
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Physical description
9.6 m of textual records
ca. 700 photographs
ca. 200 negatives
ca. 100 slides
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Administrative history
The Young Women's Christian Association of Kitchener-Waterloo was organized in 1905 as the "Berlin YWCA" and operated out of rented premises on Queen St. South in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario with Mary Ratz Kaufman as President. the YWCA's main purpose at that time was to provide for both the spiritual and physical welfare of the increasing number of young women who were coming to the urban and industrialized areas seeking employment and education. The local Y offered both a residence and a programme of helpful classes in embroidery, cooking, and "physical culture". In 1911 fund-raising began, a site was purchased and on May 15, 1915 a new building was opened at 84 Frederick St., Berlin [now Kitchener], Ontario. Although the motion was made in 1917 to change the name of the YWCA from Berlin to Kitchener, as the City had been renamed, the name was not officially changed until 1960.
In 1937 a new wing donated by Mary R. Kaufman, containing a gymnasium, was opened. A branch of the YWCA was desired for Waterloo and in 1960 a property in Waterloo was purchased at 186 King. St. S., later sold in 1972 to the Red Cross.
Over the years the YWCA offered many programs for children and adults alike: camping started 1926 at Camp Tinawatawa, clubs flourished, physical, health and craft classes were offered and programs were devised for newcomers to the country and area. Today, the YWCA provides "programs in the areas of childcare, youth recreation, emergency and supportive housing for women, and prison-based counseling." (http://www.ywcakw.on.ca/about.php ) The building at 84 Frederick St. is now an emergency shelter called Mary's Place, named after Mary Ratz Kaufman and operated by the YWCA.
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Scope and content
Fonds consists of records of the Young Women's Christian Association of Kitchener-Waterloo relating to its incorporation, activities, programs, operations and history in the Community from 1905 to 1995. Includes minutes of the Board of Directors, standing and other committees, correspondence, clippings, scrapbooks, photographs, ephemera, reports, financial statements, etc.
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Immediate source of acquisition
Donated by the YWCA of Kitchener-Waterloo in 1990.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically, unless otherwise noted, in 15 series:
1. Incorporation;
2. Board of Directors;
3. Committees;
4. Financial;
5. Executive Director's Files;
6. Personnel;
7. Physical Plant;
8. Program Files: General;
9. Program Files: Camping;
10. Residence Files;
11. Photographs;
12. Clippings;
13. Publicity and promotion;
14. History;
15. YWCA of Canada
Files are numbered consecutively and titles were transcribed from original donation folders. Exceptions are noted at the file level.
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Redescribed according to RAD in 2001 with nested series numbering and arrangement, file titles and file descriptions kept from original description process.