When the future story of Atlanta’s Westside is told, it will include women who lead, build, organize, and advocate for equity. As John Ahmann, President and CEO of the Westside Future Fund, has stated, “Despite all the work that is being done on the Westside to rebuild the community and provide supportive services to people who live there, no one is solely focused on empowering low-income women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The Phillis Wheatley Westside YWCA will fill that void.” Today, a powerful transformation is taking root on the Westside – grounded in community and the unwavering belief that every family deserves access to opportunity. YWCA Greater Atlanta is at the heart of this renewal. Through individual investments and foundation and corporate partnerships, YWCA Greater Atlanta is recreating a space where women, girls and their families can move from surviving to thriving.
Earlier this month, YWCA Greater Atlanta announced the completion of its $19.5 million Collaboration in Action capital campaign to revitalize the historic Phillis Wheatley Westside YWCA. This announcement, made at the association’s 41st annual Salute to Women of Achievement luncheon, marks more than a milestone in funding — it also elevates the association’s recommitment to community, to legacy, and most importantly, to women, children, and their families.
The revitalized Phillis Wheatley, set to reopen in spring 2026, will serve as a safe, dynamic hub offering subsidized early childhood education, an interactive media center, technology training, a large area for program participants, along with social and civic engagement, and onsite medical, counseling, and group services.
Our Westside story is also strengthened by deep, intentional partnerships with organizations that share YWCA Greater Atlanta’s commitment to equity. CHRIS 180, Families First, Morehouse School of Medicine, and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta will co-locate programs or collaborate in the new Phillis Wheatley center, expanding access to wraparound services for women, girls, and their families.
The women and partners who have made this vision a reality reflect the present, and past. One YWCA Greater Atlanta historical trailblazer is Ida Prather, a longtime educator who played an instrumental role in securing funding for YWCA Greater Atlanta programming. Her work ensured that, during a time of significant social and political shifts, Black women and girls in Atlanta had access to the local YWCA as a space of empowerment, education, and wellness.
Rosalynn Carter, former First Lady of the United States, also had ties to our local YWCA. A lifelong champion of mental health advocacy and women’s leadership, she was inducted into the first class of YWCA Greater Atlanta’s Academy of Women Achievers.
Ann Stallard, a well-respected civic and business leader, served as board president of the national YWCA from 1991–1996 and served on the global board of the world YWCA in Geneva, Switzerland from 1996-2002. As YWCA Greater Atlanta’s only lifetime board member, she remains a fierce advocate for women’s leadership and was honored on May 8 with the renaming of the Woman of Achievement Award to the Ann Stallard Award for Excellence and Leadership.
These women remind us that Atlanta’s progress has never been just about policy or infrastructure, but about people, and in particular, women who lead with vision and purpose.
The work of YWCA Greater Atlanta is equally inspired by outstanding women who are part of the YWCA Greater Atlanta board and staff. YWCA Collaboration in Action Co-Chairs, Ingrid Saunders Jones, and Sarah Irvin, the YWCA Greater Atlanta immediate past Board Chair, and Board Chair Jennifer Winn have worked tirelessly with our President and CEO, Danita V. Knight, to return the Phillis Wheatley YWCA to the West side. Sheila Hamilton, who cooked with love for YWCA Greater Atlanta families for 24 years, and Tomeki Hill, Director of our Early Learning Academy, who first worked at the original Phillis Wheatley building and will soon help prepare the next generation of early learners at the revitalized association also deserve our recognition and respect.
These women, past and present, including the many incredible community leaders and advocates not named, are part of the reason that the Westside’s future is bright. They have proven that impact does not come from titles alone. It also comes from showing up, investing deeply, and doing the work.
The doors of the new Phillis Wheatley Westside YWCA will open again because these, and other women continue to hold them open for those who need support. The Westside is full of stories that deserve to be told. The YWCA Greater Atlanta Board and staff are committed to ensuring that women, girls and their families are seen, heard and supported.
