In 1976, a small group of determined and courageous women founded the Women’s Resource Center to address the social injustices women and children faced in our community – violence and oppression experienced at the hands of male intimate partners and male community members. With an abundance of determination, they worked to raise funds to aid victims through advocacy, education and social change.
In 1982, staff and volunteers raised enough money to open a Safe House on the premises where victims and their children received emergency shelter. Through federal and state grants, and foundation funding, the Center remained stable and continued to provide services to those in need.
Today, the Women’s Resource Center remains a dynamic force in our community, helping 52,087 women and children in Lackawanna and Susquehanna Counties rebuild their lives free of violence and fear since beginning operations. Of that number, 42,138 were adult and child victims of domestic violence and 9,949 victims of sexual abuse. Those reaching out for help come from all walks of life, socioeconomic backgrounds, education, ethnicities, and sexual orientation. Services are free and extended to everyone, including family members, adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and men in same sex relationships.