Over the Nov. 14 weekend, the Downtown Rotary Club built a playground at the YWCA’s Women’s Live and Learn Center.

The details

According to a news release, the center is a redevelopment project located on the city’s west side that offers various services for young women, including mothers, seeking education and job training.

Led by community leader Rick Cavender, volunteers constructed a playground at the residential campus for young women that includes a reading theater, a garden with a bench, multiple picnic tables, two play towers and an orange playhouse, the news release states.

“Our team is committed to supporting organizations that help children and strengthen families,” said Cavender in the release. “YWCA’s Women’s Live and Learn Center is changing lives every day, and we are honored to be part of creating a place where children can play, grow, and feel at home.”


The project was part of the Kingdom for Kids initiative, founded in 1997 by Cavender, which seeks to build playgrounds for children across San Antonio, according to the Rotary Club’s website.

“We are deeply grateful to Rick Cavender, the volunteers of the Downtown Rotary, Harvey Najim, and the Najim Charitable Foundation for their generosity and heart for service,” said Francesca Rattray, CEO of YWCA San Antonio, in the release. “This playground will provide a joyful and safe place for children to play and learn and will serve as a symbol of hope for families living on our campus as well as others whose children attend the Early Childhood Education Center.”