Shimeca Wilson Cathey
Shimeca Wilson Cathey has dedicated over 20 years to residential housing and community-based support services. She currently serves as the Transitional Housing Program Manager at YWCA Central Massachusetts, where she oversees a program supporting 47 single women in transition. Her work focuses on individuals facing complex challenges including mental health conditions, substance use disorders, dual diagnoses, disabilities, and housing instability. She began her career at the YWCA as an advocate within the domestic violence shelter and was later promoted into her current leadership role, where she manages daily operations, case advocacy, and collaborative community partnerships.
In addition to her housing work, Shimeca is an ordained minister and provides spiritual leadership at New Hope Community Church, where she oversees the Women’s Ministry. In this role, she is engaged in leadership development, Bible study teaching, and mentoring women toward personal growth, resilience, and renewed purpose. She studied psychology and youth ministry at Liberty University and holds an associate degree, grounding her work in both faith-based and psychosocial approaches to care and empowerment.
Following the loss of her infant daughter, Maya, Shimeca founded the nonprofit organization “Your Baby My Baby” in Lynchburg, Virginia. What began as an effort to honor 34 unmarked children’s graves in a local cemetery grew into a broader ministry providing headstones, NICU and PICU family care packages, support for mothers on bed rest, and community butterfly release ceremonies. After coverage by the Roanoke Times, the initiative expanded its reach across Virginia before she later returned to Massachusetts. Today, the organization maintains an online support community of nearly 2,500 members worldwide, while she continues her advocacy for marginalized communities, affordable housing, and women’s empowerment through both faith and social services.
• Ordained Minister
• Liberty University - A.A.
• President's Award from City of Lynchburg
• New Hope Community Church
• Founder of Your Baby My Baby nonprofit organization
• YWCA Central Massachusetts
• Women's Ministry at New Hope Community Church
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the profound impact that losing my daughter Maya had on my life and the way it changed me forever. When my daughter passed away after being born at 25 weeks, I remember the look in her eyes when they placed her in my arms, and it was something so pivotal and life-changing. It was as if she was saying, 'Mom, I know I wasn't here with you long, but I have fulfilled my purpose, and now you have to get up and show the world what a mother's love ultimately looks like that can change the world.' And that's essentially what we did - other mothers came alongside me, and we literally changed the world. That experience gave me a different lens at looking at life and has impacted my life in all aspects. It's given me the ability to connect with women who are struggling, who don't know how to get up from that place of depression or hopelessness, and I just love empowering and inspiring women to get up and dream again and hope again. I truly believe that all things are possible to those who believe - they just have to have that belief that it is possible. My faith and my calling to be a voice for the voiceless have driven everything I do, from my work in transitional housing to my ministry to founding Your Baby My Baby. I was never born to fit in - I was born to stand out.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is that I can build a rewarding career in a field I am passionate about while making a meaningful difference and sharing God’s love through my work.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to recognize that you have the ability to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others through your work. Stay committed to your growth, remain confident in your voice, and don’t be afraid to take up space in your field. I have also been honored to receive the President’s Award, among others, which has reinforced for me the importance of dedication, excellence, and service in everything I do.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now we're in the middle of a housing crisis, and one of the biggest challenges is advocating for those who don't have a voice. When we go to the State House and City Hall for various meetings, we're fighting for affordable housing because if people are low income, they should not have to be reduced to living in crime-infested, roach-infested, bottom of the barrel living arrangements. Housing should be a human right. My role involves a lot of advocacy work - going to the State House, building collaborations within the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, and being a voice for the voiceless at these various affairs. It's about making sure that marginalized communities have someone fighting for them and ensuring that everyone has access to safe, dignified housing regardless of their income level.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are empowering and inspiring women, being a voice for the voiceless, and showing God's love to everyone I encounter. I love helping others, and whether it's through my work managing the transitional housing program at YWCA, overseeing the Women's Ministry at my church, or through the Your Baby My Baby nonprofit, everything I do is about making a difference in people's lives. I'm passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and fighting to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. When I encounter women who are struggling, who don't know how to connect the dots or how to get up from that place of depression or hopelessness, I want to empower them to get up and dream again and hope again, because all things are possible to those who believe. Family togetherness is also very important to me - I live in my family home where my parents lived, and we have a lot of family functions. My faith drives everything I do, and I use my story and testimony to help make a difference in the world and in the lives of others. The mission of YWCA to eliminate racism and empower women, in particular, and promote peace and dignity for all really aligns with my core values.