Community Impact: YWCA provides Survivor Services

VW independent staff/submitted information

The YWCA of Van Wert County is continuing its series of articles to answer frequently asked questions and provide a closer look at why the organization is building a new facility. While the new building will enhance every area of the YWCA’s mission, one of its greatest impacts will be on Survivor Services.

For decades, the YWCA has provided emergency shelter, long-term housing, advocacy, and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The organization also operates a 24-hour crisis hotline serving Van Wert and Paulding Counties and responds to hospitals, law enforcement agencies, social service organizations, and victims throughout both counties.

In 2025 alone, the YWCA served 126 adults, 70 children, and 42 families. In addition, the YWCA:

• Celebrated 138 survivor successes and milestones as individuals and families achieved greater safety, independence, and stability.

• Provided 527 transports, ensuring survivors could access medical appointments, court hearings, employment, housing, counseling, and other essential services.
• Responded to 49 hotline calls and referrals, connecting individuals with crisis intervention, advocacy, and resources when they needed them most.

These numbers represent more than services provided — they represent lives changed, families kept safe, and individuals given the opportunity to rebuild after experiencing trauma.

The YWCA’s current facility has faithfully served the community for more than a century. Originally designed to house young women entering the workforce or pursuing education, the building was never intended to function as a modern emergency shelter. Residents currently share bathrooms, kitchen facilities, and common living areas, while the age of the building and ongoing maintenance challenges make it increasingly difficult to provide the level of comfort, privacy, and security survivors deserve.

The new facility has been intentionally designed to create a more dignified and trauma-informed environment. Each resident will have a private, apartment-style living space complete with their own bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette, allowing families to begin their healing journey with greater independence, comfort, and privacy.

“Every survivor deserves a safe, private place to heal from their trauma,” said Jamie Evans, Director of Survivor Services. “This new facility will allow us to provide an environment that promotes healing, restores dignity, and better supports each individual’s journey toward safety and independence.”

The new building will also feature a dedicated Survivor Services wing with a separate entrance to maintain confidentiality and enhance resident safety. Private parking and discreet resident-only entrances, carefully shielded from public view, will provide additional security for individuals and families seeking shelter.

Through this expansion, the YWCA of Van Wert County remains committed to empowering survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking while continuing to meet the growing needs of our community for generations to come.

For more information about YWCA Survivor Services, contact Jamie Evans, Director of Survivor Services, at jevans@ywcavanwertcounty.org. For more information about the YWCA Capital Campaign, contact Kimberly Laudick, President & CEO, at klaudick@ywcavanwertcounty.org.