The YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County has received $4.1 million in funding from the Homeless Housing Assistance Program to renovate a brand new emergency shelter for the community, named Persimmon Place.
Located on 35 Ardmore Street, Rochester, the building is part of a 20 year renovation and sustainability plan for The YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County. While waiting for renovations to begin, The YWCA has partnered with local government to use Persimmon Place as a Code Blue Warming Shelter for the 2024 winter season, helping to protect the most vulnerable of the Rochester community from the harshest of weather conditions. The warming shelter is currently open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the winter season until weather conditions regularly improve in the spring. The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority will provide free transportation from the transit center to the warming center all winter long.
Dr. Myra Henry, President and CEO of YWCA, explains the impact that the award from HHAP will have on the Rochester community. “We plan to transform a recently acquired 6,500 square foot dwelling into a place of respite and hope for 12 additional families, nearly tripling our capacity for family emergency shelter. Each will be supported by our team of trauma informed case managers who approach everyone who walks through our doors with dignity and respect in the furtherance of our mission to eliminate racism and empower women.”
Persimmon Place will be the newest of YWCA’s multiple facilities, which range from temporary shelter to long term housing support. Renovations will formally start in the spring of 2024 and are scheduled to be completed in the beginning of 2025. YWCA Rochester and Monroe County aims to provide affordable housing and emergency shelter for women and families who are faced with personal crises, and provide them with resources to help them get on the path to a healthy, successful future.
Henry, along with the YWCA community, is excited for the opportunity to expand their community resources in Rochester. “As we celebrate our 140 years of service to our community, we cannot think of a better, more meaningful way to continue our legacy of serving women and families.”
For more information, or to learn about the many resources YWCA Rochester & Monroe County offers, visit http://ywcarochester.org or call 585-546-5820.
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