In 1975, a small group of women banded together out of concern, frustration, and rage over the plight of women in their community. They organized themselves into a Board of Directors, obtained a grant from the local drug and alcohol commission, and began to meet over a drugstore. Through an assessment conducted by the commission, the community identified violence in the home as a common area of concern. Equipped with the assessment results and their knowledge of women’s lives, the Board announced on November 18, 1976, the formation of the Women’s Task Force on Drug and Alcohol Addictions, which developed into the Women’s Resource Center, Inc.
The primary services initially offered by volunteers included a hotline and crisis counseling for victims of rape and sexual assault. Volunteers also assisted women and children in need of safe housing. Over the years, the Center has grown from a full volunteer effort into an organization with almost fifty staff members. After 48 years of providing services to the community, the agency now owns a three-story building in Scranton that houses the 24-hour hotline program, individual and group counseling offices, and administrative space. WRC also maintains two satellite offices, the Barbara J. Hart Justice Center and an office in Montrose for Crisis and Advocacy Program Services. Safe House shelter services are provided off-site at an undisclosed location.
WRC’s role within the community is twofold: to provide direct services to adults and children who are victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault, and to act as a social change agent by increasing community awareness about the problems of domestic violence and sexual assault so that we may ultimately reduce its incidence.
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