A Century of Service to the Community

Founded in 1911 as the Young Women's Christian Association of Jacksonville (YWCA), Community Connections of Jacksonville is one of the oldest human services agencies in Northeast Florida, helping the needy and the disenfranchised for 100 years.

Since its inception, Community Connections has developed imaginative and resourceful strategies and community partnerships to meet the ever-changing and multifaceted needs of homeless and low-income women, children and families in our area.

By providing transitional housing and essential support services to help women, children and families become self-sufficient, move away from public assistance, and reach their full potential, the organization has evolved to stay relevant to the needs of those with nowhere else to turn.

Organizational Timeline

• 1911 – the YWCA purchased a fully-furnished hotel, which immediately became home to 12 permanent residents and 9 transients (thus beginning Community Connections' history of providing affordable housing).
• 1915 – sponsored the first summer camp in the state.
• 1916 – assumed full responsibility for Traveler's Aid and handled many cases of runaway girls and young couples.
• 1919 – opened and operated the first accredited night school in Duval County.
• 1924 – established the first county-wide employment service for women.
• 1928 – opened the first employment workshop in the country, and operated it until Federal Funds became available - it was highly recommended by President Roosevelt.
• 1932 – the group destined to become the nucleus of the A.L. Lewis Branch was formed, and 300 African-American girls and teachers organized a character-building organization.
• 1973 – housed a woman's probationers' residence for first offenders.
• 1975 – administered a neighborhood tutoring program for low-income elementary children who were experiencing difficulty in academic achievement because of environmental conditions.
• 1976 – administered the Southeast Asian Youth Development Program for refugees to develop leadership and increase cultural assimilation following the Southeast Asian conflict.
• 1977 – established a job readiness program for women.
• 1978 – opened the first emergency housing program in Jacksonville for women with young children for assistance and housing (continues to operate as the Florence N. Davis Center).
• 1994 – the Healthy Families program was added, providing family education, enrichment services, and child abuse prevention programs to Jacksonville's Northside.
• 1995 – Community Connections opened a transitional housing program for 50 formerly homeless families at Nia Terrace.
• Throughout the 1990's – after-school programs offering tutoring, academic enrichment activities and organized sports for low-income families were enacted.
• 2004 – the Northeast Florida Transitional Housing Program for families in South Duval and North Clay Counties became operational.
• 2005 – expanded Childcare Center programs with help of the Lucy Gooding Foundation.
• 2007 – received an endowment for the establishment of a Department of Development from Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver and named the Administration Building the "Weaver Building".
• 2011 – Community Connections will celebrate 100 years of service to the women, children and families of Jacksonville.