By Holly Fisher
Electronic Media Editor

At the corner of Calhoun and Coming streets in downtown Charleston, women from the Lowcountry are gaining a sense of empowerment.

Celebrating its centennial this year, the YWCA of Greater Charleston has helped countless women in its 100-year history, providing everything from economic freedom to fostering the self-esteem of young women and teenagers.

Amanda Hollinger joined the YWCA as executive director last October. With a background of work with nonprofits, including the YWCA in Asheville, N.C., Hollinger said the Charleston YWCA was a perfect fit for her. She has a distinct interest in public policy, and race and class issues affecting women.

The YWCA’s mantra of “eliminating racism” and “empowering women” gives Hollinger a chance to focus on those race and class issues.

Aside from the previous interim director, Hollinger is the YWCA’s first executive director who is not black. That in itself is an example of the Y’s focus on eliminating racism and creating a cohesive community, said Mignon Clyburn, president of the YWCA board of directors.

“We encountered Amanda through her volunteer efforts,” Clyburn said. “She was very visible. That type of dedication and (her) attributes, we felt, were good for the executive director post.”

Hollinger is leading the YWCA through a period of growth and development. Last year, the Y conducted a community needs assessment, paying close attention to what the community wanted from its local YWCA.

Clyburn said the organization looked carefully at what other agencies were offering and determined how the YWCA could offer something different.

“We looked at our strengths, our mission and attempted to merge those,” she said.

One way the YWCA is reaching out to young women is through its new Teen Leadership Academy, a yearlong program the YWCA is working on with partners Burke High School and South Carolina State University.

Ninth-grade girls are selected for the program and participate in sessions that build interpersonal skills, expand their knowledge of career choices and offer enrichment opportunities by exposing the girls to arts and cultural events they might not  otherwise experience.

At the end of the program, the girls write an essay on “What it means to be a girl.” Hollinger binds the essays in a book and points to their words as more inspiration for the work she does at the YWCA.

While those young women have a chance at an early age to improve their futures, some women need a boost later in life. That’s where another new YWCA program comes into play. Working Opportunities for Women, or WOW!, provides unemployed women with job skills so they can enter the work force and contribute to the local economy and their own economic well-being.

The four-week program requires women to attend daily classes where they receive instruction in computer programs, resumé writing, money management, time management and workplace etiquette. The YWCA works closely with Dress for Success so each woman receives a business suit at the end of the program.

So far this year, 50 women have completed the program. Hollinger expects 80 to 90 women will complete WOW! by the end of the year.

About 75% of the participants have been placed in jobs ranging from hotel housekeeping to clerical work, depending on their skills. The YWCA follows up with the women at three, six and 12 months to see how the job is going or to determine why they aren’t employed.

“WOW! helps everyone,” Hollinger said. “Women, instead of being recipients of services, are contributing to the economy.”

The YWCA works closely with Crisis Ministries, the Center for Women, domestic violence shelters and other partners to recruit women to the WOW! program. Yet, Hollinger said, recruiting remains the biggest challenge. Even though the program is offered free of charge, it is a significant time commitment, and lack of childcare or transportation are roadblocks for some women.

The YWCA is exploring additional funding that would allow it to offer childcare for women in the WOW! program as well as to offer classes in outlying areas for women who can’t make the trip to downtown Charleston, Hollinger said.

The business community is eager to help, Hollinger said, and she welcomes additional input and assistance from local businesses. The YWCA recently began offering Work Keys training through Trident One Stop Career Center. Many employers use Work Keys to determine a job applicant’s knowledge and skill level.

“I think people want to help, especially people who are helping themselves,” she said. “We can always use more partners and we would like feedback on how to tailor the programs.”

With all the YWCA’s many programs and activities, Hollinger said she enjoys wearing many hats and having a hand in all the Y’s work.

“It’s rewarding to see the impact we have on people’s lives,” she said.

Hollinger works closely with the 19-member YWCA board, comprised of business women and community leaders from the area. She said many people are eager to volunteer with the YWCA because they grew up at the Y—a legacy Hollinger is committed to continuing.

“We’re inspired to have more generations that are growing up here,” she said.

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