The Young Women's Community Club

The Young Women’s Community Club started simply as a recreation center for women, a place for girls to go to rest and read during the day. In March 1920, Mrs. E. L. Bliss began to organize women from churches around Orlando to start a United Missionary Society. By 1921, the organization was officially started with officers in place. Their meetings brought to light the need for a Young Women’s Christian Association, but the group would not officially be adopted until 1931. Until then, the women began setting up various recreational sites for young women with financial help from the city, churches, and other organizations. In 1924, rooms at a location on East Pine Street were used, but an increase in attendance lead the group to relocate in 1925 to the third floor of the Cheny building at 24 West Pine Street for more room. In 1926, the group began serving lunch for 15 cents. The United Missionary Society declared that the recreation center was sufficient enough on its own and no longer sponsored the group in 1928. The Girls' Recreation Center moved again in May of 1931 to the Satsuma Hotel on South Street and Orange Avenue to better accommodate the girls. A month later the name Young Women’s Community Club was adopted.

Eventually, the YWCC began providing full boarding services. Girls between the ages of 16 and 37 were allowed to stay at the club as long as they were in school or working, for a number of days, or longer, if they paid a small amount in rent. Their goal was to provide housing, food, and guidance to women, whether they were newcomers to the area or needed a place to stay until they got on their feet.

During the 1980s, things at the YWCC had changed with the times. In the 1950s, when the YWCC was at its highest, the young women that stayed at the club were "nice young women with upstanding morals" and most had come to stay during their time at school. In the 1980s, the women that stayed at the YWCC were said to be of the "problematic population" and came from broken marriage and families. The club was no longer used for recreation, but for the housing and guidance. This change was apparent in the organization's name change in 1992 to the Women's Residential and Counseling Center. Due to financial problems, the organization was taken over by the Homeless Coalition in 1996.