SAN ANTONIO — A $13 million investment is under construction for the YWCA San Antonio organization located at 2318 Castroville Road. The ‘Women’s Live and Learn Center’ will house 30 women and their children who are looking for a safe place away from domestic abuse.
A single mother herself, Angelica Cervantes serves as the chief operating officer for YWCA San Antonio which exists to eliminate racism and empower women, especially women of color. She’s sharing the underlying message behind this $13 million project.
“You are worthy, you’re worthy of pursuing any and everything that you want to be able to accomplish,” she said.
For Cervantes, there’s no greater job than being a mother to her 13-year-old daughter Aria. She understands the concerns that may come along with being a single mother.
“Because our goal is to be able to break the cycle of poverty and to be able to help our women become self-sufficient,” Cervantes said.
The YWCA is removing barriers for women between the ages of 18 to 25, transforming the former St. Andrews convent to a ‘Women’s Live and Learn Center’.
“We are seeing that a lot of our women, one of the biggest barriers that they have is housing,” she said. “Women are going to have access to housing for up to 4 years instead of the traditional two."
Construction is already underway and will include a childcare facility and comprehensive support services for single women and their children.
“Priority is going to be given to women that are in domestic violence situations, where there situation has stabilized and they’re looking for that next step," Cervantes said. "We want to be that next step.”
Cervantes believes this facility will be a positive addition to the west side community.
“Everybody here deserves that opportunity and is deserving of options that are worthwhile to continue to move their life forward.”
YWCA's Women’s Live and Learn Center is projected to be completed by October this year. Although the organization will be prioritizing applicants ages 18 to 25, they will look at the situations of women who are older and see how they can help. You can learn more information about the housing project by visiting their website here.