ELYRIA — For Jeanine Donaldson, executive director of the Elyria YWCA, receiving the National YWCA Sojourner Truth Award is like being recognized for simply breathing.

Those were the first words she said she uttered after taking the stage in Washington, D.C., earlier this month to receive the honor, presented to a woman who has exemplified outstanding community service and whose life exemplifies the bold and tenacious spirit of Sojourner Truth, a woman dedicated to women’s rights, human dignity and racial justice.

And Donaldson reiterated the thought Friday when she paused to reflect on her many accomplishments while at the helm of the nonprofit organization.
Seated in a simple patio chair outside the YWCA’s women’s transitional living home, Donaldson was at ease in her surroundings, so much so that she could easily be mistaken for a woman simply enjoying a little peace and quiet in her own backyard.

“For me, what I do at the YWCA is as natural as breathing,” she said. “For me, this is not work. This is what I’m meant to do.”

However, Donaldson, who began her tenure with the Elyria YWCA in 1976, said working for the longstanding service group was not what she planned to do with her life. In 1971, she was admitted to Oberlin College with plans of graduating from the college’s famed conservatory and pursuing a career in music.

“I never imagined myself not doing music or performing,” she said.

But Donaldson comes from a service-oriented family. She has vivid memories of going door-to-door in Sandusky with her grandmother, encouraging people to join the city’s local NAACP chapter. So Donaldson found herself on a different path — one she is not totally surprised to be walking.

For her, it started between college semesters with a summer job that she calls the best experience of her life.
“(Sandusky) had finally put a park on the black side of town, and I was hired to be the park director,” she said. “But what I saw were children who needed much more than summer recreation. They needed social interaction. That’s what got me thinking about other needs beyond music.”

After graduating from Oberlin, Donaldson spent one year teaching music with the Lorain City Schools. But that job didn’t last, and soon she found herself at the YWCA facilitating a weekly support group for poor women. It was a 16-hour-a-week job.

“But that did it for me,” Donaldson said. “That was the first time I saw black and white women working together. It was just so refreshing to come to the YWCA and see a community of women that were so progressive.”

Three years later, in 1979, Donaldson was named executive director. From there, her ascent to a community leader was swift. As an advocate for women and people of color, Donaldson has been recognized by the Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club and the Ohio Department of Health. Her achievements include winning three four-year terms on the Lorain Board of Education and appointment by former Gov. Bob Taft to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.

Yet it’s her accomplishments with the YWCA that she is most proud of — too numerous to decide which one brings her the most joy. The transitional housing program for women, the youth dance program and the Community Anti-Hate Taskforce are just a few. Individually and collectively, each fulfills the YWCA and what has become Donaldson’s life mission to empower women and eliminate racism.

And even if Donaldson never receives another award for what she does, she reaps the rewards of her hard work each time the life of a woman or child is changed.

“The other day, I saw a woman whose daughter was a member of our transitional housing program,” she said. “She couldn’t wait to tell me that her daughter was doing well, and I will always remember how she told me that we gave her daughter back to her.”

So, Donaldson said, she graciously accepted the award, not only for herself but for the prominence it brings to the Elyria YWCA — an organization that has been grounded in the community for 95 years.

Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.

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