YWCA in Orange to Unveil Plan That Would Keep It Open

Top officials with the YWCA of central Orange County will unveil a proposal Monday that would allow the beleaguered 81-year-old organization to retain a presence in the city of Orange, even though it plans to merge with the Boys & Girls Club.

“The executive board is looking into solutions that would involve a new start for the YWCA in Orange,” said Shannon Tucker, executive director of the chapter. “It would be nice if the solution would involve stepping back in time to the simpler, basic mission of the YWCA.”

Tucker declined to release the details, which will be presented to the Board of Directors.

The nonprofit announced in November that it would be shutting down in June, because it was no longer able to cover the costs of providing child care, after-school programs and other services for needy families.

The “new start” comes in the midst of a battle between factions of the Young Women’s Christian Assn., and against the backdrop of a national decline in membership and support that have forced more than half of the YWCA’s chapters across the country to close.

The merger being explored by the Orange chapter would involve combining operations with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tustin and Santa Ana.

Board member Arianna Barrios, who is against the merger, said YWCA leaders have mismanaged finances and are breaking the organization’s bylaws.