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Crossroads: Helping Rhode Island’s most vulnerable women for 125 years

Crossroads Rhode Island has been helping Rhode Island's most vulnerable women for 125 years.

March 08, 2019

Crossroads: Helping Rhode Island’s most vulnerable women for 125 years

International Women’s Day leads us to reflect on the powerful, compassionate and influential women who have had a tremendous impact on our organization.

The spirit of the day reminds us of the strong, courageous mothers, sisters and daughters we serve each day as they work hard to overcome their struggles and find success for themselves or their families.

And today has given us cause to celebrate Crossroads’ very beginning in 1894, as an organization dedicated to helping Rhode Island’s most vulnerable women 125 years ago.

A brief history

Formerly known as Travelers Aid, our organization was established as part of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), with programs formed specifically to provide protection and aid to women and girls traveling alone.

Travelers Aid sought to help women in need succeed, providing assistance in many forms, including shelter, transportation and employment services.

Our organization was founded by women, for women, with its purpose rooted in empowering women to achieve and overcome. The promise of our future was ingrained into our very start.

125 years later

125 years and many teams of women-based leadership later, Crossroads Rhode Island continues to help homeless or at-risk families secure stable homes. With an increasing number of women making up the homeless population, we continue to strive to help Rhode Island’s most vulnerable women through specialized programs like our Women’s Shelter, Domestic Violence Program, housing, case management and education and employment services.

At Crossroads, we know that when women in our community thrive, the community thrives with them. And we also know that raising our women up and creating lasting change in our community takes more than the support of a few.

So, on this International Women’s Day, we reflect and thank the many in our community who have allowed us to take strides in helping women experiencing homelessness in Rhode Island find safety, self-sufficiency and success.

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