• NELCWIT is the sexual and domestic violence crisis center of Franklin County and the North Quabbin.
For immediate crisis intervention and support, please call our 24/7 Crisis Line:
413-772-0806
Se habla español. We can also receive calls in more than 200 other languages through an interpretation service. All are welcome.
Toll-free number for residents of Franklin County & North Quabbin: (888) 249-1816.
NELCWIT’s mission is to eradicate domestic and sexual violence through programs that directly support survivors and by collaborating to build safe, anti-racist, just communities where all people have dignity and the opportunity to thrive.
We offer counseling, advocacy, and resources to individuals whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence or sexual abuse, and assist in prevention and education work to decrease violence in our community.
As an anti-racist, multicultural organization, NELCWIT also joins with and mobilizes other groups and individuals who are working to end domestic violence and sexual abuse, ensure human rights, and achieve social justice.
NELCWIT offers services to people of all genders, sexual orientations and abilities. All of NELCWIT’s services for survivors are free of charge, do not require health insurance, and are available to people of any immigration status. Counseling is available in Spanish and English, with other languages offered through an interpretation service. Our offices are wheelchair-accessible and all our crisis lines are TTY-enabled or use MA Relay 711.
NELCWIT’S HISTORY
The New England Learning Center for Women in Transition (NELCWIT) was created in response to the needs of local women and children experiencing domestic violence and abuse. In 1975, four women meeting around a kitchen table in New Salem outlined a plan to combine crisis intervention and safe shelter with ongoing advocacy and support for women navigating complex legal, vocational, and financial problems.
NELCWIT’s first outreach office opened in 1976, operated by a staff of up to 22 volunteers offering crisis counseling and temporary shelters through a careful network of approximately a dozen private homes. In 1977, NELCWIT was incorporated as a non-profit multi-service center addressing the needs of women in major life transitions, and in 1979, NELCWIT opened its first shelter for women and their children who had experienced abuse and needed to escape their immediate situation. In 1984, rape crisis services were expanded, increasing our public education efforts to prevent sexual violence and our capacity to assist survivors of sexual assault and incest.
Over the past four decades, NELCWIT’s services have expanded and evolved. We now serve people of all genders, and have bilingual (English/Spanish) services. NELCWIT opened the Franklin County Children’s Visitation Program (FCCVP) in 2011, offering a safe and neutral setting for supervised family visitation.
Through NELCWIT’s main offices in Greenfield MA, and a satellite office in Orange, MA, NELCWIT continues to provide crisis services, advocacy, support, and referrals to people who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, or incest. NELCWIT also has a 24-hour crisis line, court advocates in both the Greenfield and Orange courts, and the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP). In addition to these crisis-based services, NELCWIT staff and volunteers also engage in public education and advocacy around domestic and sexual violence and explore how intimate partner violence intersects with larger, systemic issues of oppression and racism.
Almost twenty-seven years ago, NELCWIT was a lifesaver for me and my three kids, and none of us have forgotten. I'm just sharing this with you to let you know what a huge impact the courageous and dedicated women of NELCWIT, and the vital, top-notch services they provide, have had across time. I can't, and wouldn't want to, imagine my life without your grace and wisdom.
- Anonymous