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Who We Are
With our primary focus on eliminating domestic violence and other forms of abuse, the Women’s Center of Montgomery County is a membership organization that has been volunteer-powered since its inception in 1976, providing services which include:
- A 24-hour domestic violence hotline
- Elder abuse counseling and supportive services
- Individualized peer and group domestic violence counseling
- Telephone counseling, information and referral
- Legal advocacy
- Court and hospital accompaniment
- Emergency relocation funding for victims of domestic violence
- Education and outreach to the community and schools
Our programs are administered by more than 150 volunteers and a paid staff of 24 full and part-time employees in our seven offices throughout Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
- Maria Macaluso, Executive Director
- wcwebmail@womenscentermc.org
Strategies for achieving our mission
Safety
Promote physical, social and emotional safety of individuals impacted by DV:
- Run an effective, accessible hotline
- Provide one-on-one advocacy (Legal, Medical, Housing, Employment)
- Court advocacy, court accompaniment and PFA assistance
- Provide access to immigration services
- Develop access to comprehensive legal representation
- Develop interventions and enhance cultural sensitivity to respond to the unique safety challenges of diverse vulnerable populations
- Strengthen high-quality trauma-informed services
Education
Educate and advocate to prevent, avoid and reduce the incidence of domestic violence:
- Conduct targeted community education programs
- Advocate to increase public awareness
- Provide DV protocol and identification training for firstresponders
Projects
Implement special projects to address unmet needs and underserved populations:
- Provide effective interventions and services to help themfind safety and stability
- Promote cultural awareness, acceptance and inclusion, within our organization and community
- Become supportive, effective allies in challenging thebarriers and myths that isolate and frustrate individualvictims and communities
Our Goal
In addition to affecting positive change for individuals, our goal is to create institutional change and reduce the impact of domestic violence, creating a cultural shift towards healthier, safer communities.
Can You Help?
Our Accomplishments
One of our greatest strengths is our volunteer labor force, providing direct services to survivors. Each year we benefit from more than 20,000 volunteer hours.
Other key strengths include our strategic use of technology; multiple locations; training capabilities and our initiatives working with underserved populations. We maintain seven community-based offices throughout Montgomery County. We also staff an office at the Courthouse to assist victims seeking Protection from Abuse Orders. Through our Medical Advocacy Project, we provide onsite staffing at Jefferson/Abington, Jefferson/Lansdale and Holy Redeemer Hospitals.
ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND RECOGNITION INCLUDE: The WCMC is PAs fifth largest service domestic violence, with the largest volunteer Workforce.
2004
WCMC chosen by Citizens Bank and NBC-10 to be their first CommunityChampion for the Mid-Atlantic Region. We designated the cash award to thecreation of our Elder Abuse Project.Established in 1992 as one of the first three pilot projects funded in PA, our MedicalAdvocacy Project program became a national prototype for suburban hospitalsettings, recognized in 2007 by the GlaxoSmithKline Impact Awards committee.
2008
WCMC was identified by the PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency(PCCD) as one of 5 victim service agencies who exemplify best practices fororganizational capacity building.
2012
Expanded medical advocacy program to promote universal screening fordomestic violence through the obstetrics and pediatric healthcare providers toincrease the identification and treatment of children at risk as they witness violencein their homes.
2013
WCMC was among the first 12 programs in PA to pilot the LethalityAssessment Project, an evidenced-based program in which police officersresponding to a domestic call screen victims to assess the risk of escalating violence.In the first 5 years, we received over 700 high risk referrals from police departments.
2014
Received $25,000 award from Verizon Foundation in recognition of our middleschool prevention education curriculum.
2017
WCMC selected as recipient of the Barra Award, recognizing organizationalleadership, performance and adaptability.
2020
WCMC one of three finalists selected as recipients of the Impact 100Philadelphia Award in the amount of $108,000.
2022
Expanded our medical advocacy team to include a Birth Advocate, workingwith healthcare providers, doulas, midwifes, birth coaches to provide support to at-risk pregnant women.
2023
WCMC became one of the first domestic violence programs in Pennsylvaniacertified to administer the Lethality Assessment Project created by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence.
GET INVOLVED
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