The YWCA of Kauai was founded in 1921 by Elsie Wilcox and was quickly established as a leader and advocate on issues of women’s empowerment and the elimination of racism on our rural island.

The YWCA of Kauai has crafted a local vision specific to the needs of Kauai that involves: a strong commitment to eliminating violence in all of its forms, especially in the areas of domestic and sexual violence; providing treatment to those who have been traumatized by violence; and providing the skills training and opportunities for change necessary so that individuals who have been violent can live productive and caring lives. In all of our services to victims and perpetrators of violence, our primary emphasis is to be victim-centered and to foster empowerment.

• 1924 – Established a dormitory for girls in Lihue as a complement to the existing boy’s dormitory so that girls could attend high school alongside the boys.
• 1930s – Began offering outreach health services and social work to the women and girls of the plantation camps on Kauai.
• 1940s – Actively advocated for Japanese residents who were placed in internment camps.
• 1980 – Established the island’s first Women’s Shelter, offering safety and protection to women and children escaping domestic violence.
• 1985 – Established the Alternatives to Violence Program to provide assistance for those who have been violent in their intimate relationships.

Current services at the YWCA of Kauai include: a Shelter for victims of domestic violence, the Alternatives to Violence Treatment, Sexual Assault Crisis and Counseling Treatment,  General Counseling Services, Adult and Juvenile Sex Offender Treatment, 24-hour Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault hotlines, Prevention Education, Youth Development Programs, Girlz Tech, Girlz Dayz Camp, and Camp Sloggett.