Founded in 1894, the
YWCA Greater Los Angeles serving the needs of women and their families in the
Los Angeles community is modeled after the national Young Women's Christian Association which is a membership movement dedicated to the concept of empowering women by creating opportunities for growth, leadership and eliminating racism. In 1913 the
Mary Andrews Clark Memorial Home began serving as an Institution of "Comfort and Uplifting", which served as an affordable residence for working girls until 1987. In 1918 the YWCA took control of The
Hollywood Studio Club a hotel residence for aspiring actresses. In 1953 the Compton development Center was established{{cite news|title=Kids at YWCA CDC Design Their Dream Playground | publisher=Compton Bulletin|author=Allison Jean Eaton By the late 1970s, the Infant Learning Center at
San Fernando High School was opened in 1975 as the L.A. Job Corps program continued to grow and expand when it moved into the
Hollywood Studio Club.{{cite news|title=YWCA to Build Job Center in Downtown L.A.| work=Los Angeles Times | author=Roger Vincent The YWCA became the lead agency for the "LA Bridges After School Program" at L.A.'s
John Muir Middle School in 1998. The YWCA Greater Los Angeles was granted an extended five-year contract in 2000 for the operation of the LA Job Corps{{cite news|title=Job Corps Program in Downtown YWCA Named as Best in U.S. | work=Los Angeles Times | author=Eric Malinic In 2001, the organization created an Urban Campus Project focused on housing, health and medical services, charter high school, and vocational services. They also founded the Society of Benefactrix, which was launched in support of the YWCA's philosophical ideals and programs. In 2003, the Union Pacific Child Development Center in East Los Angeles was opened.{{cite news|title=A New Day for L.A. Preschools | work=Los Angeles Times | author=Carla Rivera In 2009, the first "Jeans 4 Justice" event was held.{{cite news|title=Jeans for Justice | publisher=Los Angeles Sentinel | author=Christine Sabathia ==Phenomenal Woman of the Year==