History
Hopeful Beginnings
WCWRC began as a three-year project called the Women’s Empowerment Project. A
collection of service agencies and community women came together, through a series of
community planning processes, to determine what women in the West Central community
needed.
The Centre
In 2001 the Project opened with an actual site – one room in the lower level of 583
Ellice Avenue. At a community planning meeting in June 2001 women finalized the
following objectives for the project:
• To develop a range of activities and events that facilitates involvement and provides
sufficient support to maintain meaningful participation.
• To build on current networks, and develop additional means of creating a stronger
voice for area women.
• To develop ideas and supports for women and families to address issues and
continue to build capacity to strengthen neighbourhoods.
In the years following, the Project turned into the West Central Women’s Resource Centre
(WCWRC) and experienced growth and change. The Centre moved into 640 Ellice Ave in
2010 and we have added additional staff each year since. There were also expanded
programs and services as well as a continuing building of partnerships and networks with
organizations in the neighbourhood and across the city. Despite the name, WCWRC serves
and employs gender-diverse people in addition to women.