NELCWIT was the first domestic violence shelter in western Massachusetts, and one of the first in Massachusetts. Founded in Greenfield in 1976 and incorporated in 1977 with 22 volunteers using safe private homes, it opened its own shelter in 1979, added a rape crisis center in 1984, and in 1988 purchased the shelter and its office building. From the outset, volunteers have alerted communities to the scope of the problem and tried to address prevention — challenging public tolerance of domestic abuse, pressuring courts and police to respond strongly to battering, gathering and disseminating data, creating a library, and participating in conferences, workshops, and training sessions. NELCWIT was one of three founders of the coalition that became Jane Doe, Inc., and one of four agencies that persuaded the legislature to fund battered women's programs.

Today it has: offices in Athol, Orange, and Shelburne Falls, and a 24/7 hotline; legal counselors help victims seek restraining orders; a Child Safe program counsels children who have witnessed violence; and a Survivors Project offers a drop-in center, support groups, and other activities for women survivors of childhood abuse. Since its inception, NELCWIT has helped over 11,000 women; in 2003 it provided shelter for 36 families, answered 2,000 hotline calls, assisted in obtaining 300 restraining orders, and directly helping 700 victims. What would our society do without private initiatives like these in philanthropy? Your caring support is much needed.