A big splash for Betty Schoenbaum

On Tuesday, we celebrated the grand opening of our newly renovated building at 1114 Quarrier Street! During our "big splash" to honor Betty Schoenbaum, children from the YWCA Child Enrichment Center were the first to make their own splash in the new Schoenbaum pool. The YWCA dedicated the new aquatic facility to Betty Schoenbaum to honor her $150,000 donation to the project and to recognize her enduring heart for the Charleston community.

For those who are unfamiliar with the building project, the YWCA launched the Raise the Roof building renovations campaign in January of 2007. Through this campaign, we raised $1.1 million to replace our 1920s building’s leaking roof and HVAC systems, repair the exterior bricks and columns, replace the swimming pool and hot tub, renovate the locker rooms, and freshen up the interior with new paint and carpet.

At 91-years old, Betty Schoenbaum continues to be a inspirational philanthropist in the Charleston community. When asked by a reporter to describe how it feels to be able to give back in this way, she replied: "I tell people sometimes I have so much joy in me I think my skin might burst some day."

We truly appreciate everything Mrs. Schoenbaum has done to help women, children, and families all over the world, and we applaud her for joining in our mission of providing peace, justice, dignity and freedom for all people.