History of WC&S
Assisting survivors and the region
Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh began in a small storefront space, offering a simple and safe meeting place for women in the Pittsburgh area. Today, WC&S offers support and aid to more than 7,500 individuals each year, and is a leading regional program for all survivors of domestic violence.
Highlights Through the Decades
1974
Ellen Berliner and Anne Steytler founded WC&S, one of the first six shelters for battered women in the United States.
1976
Pennsylvania’s Protection from Abuse Act was passed, giving domestic violence (DV) survivors the right to go to court and file an order for protection from domestic abuse.
WC&S began assisting victims with filing Protection from Abuse Orders and understanding their new legal rights.
1981 to 1983
WC&S raised more than $1 million to create a new, larger facility including a shelter with the capacity for 32 women and children.
1986
WC&S’ Non-Resident Counseling Program (Support Groups) was established to provide women with an emotionally safe environment in which they could talk about their experiences with domestic violence.
1994
WC&S purchased a new, dedicated building and launched $5 million Capital Campaign, expanding program space and increasing shelter capacity to 36 women and children.
Medical Advocacy Program was established at Mercy Hospital with a full-time Women’s Center & Shelter staff person, acknowledging the role of the medical community in combating intimate partner violence.
2001
Civil Law Project was established at WC&S as a well-respected provider of free legal services in Allegheny County, providing high-quality legal support to survivors of intimate partner violence.
2004
WC&S adopted the Women’s Center Business System, which was adapted from the Alcoa Business System problem-solving model, allowing staff to maximize efficiency and effectiveness in our work through lean management practices.
2007
With the support of Pennsylvania Interest On Lawyers Trust Account funding, WC&S’s Civil Law Project attained its own 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit entity.
2009
WC&S was certified by the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations for our outstanding work in the community, becoming one of only 53 organizations to hold the certification statewide. WC&S still maintains this certification.
2010
WC&S received the United Way Award for Excellence.
2012
WC&S received our first Charity Navigator four-star rating.
2013
WC&S partnered with Pittsburgh City Council and Pittsburgh Police to implement the Maryland Lethality Assessment Program, a best-practice initiative for reducing the number of domestic violence homicides and re-assaults by making a direct connection for survivors from the police to safety planning and help available through our Hotline Services.
2014
WC&S and Newton Consulting (now Aspirant) designed and launched the RUSafe app, a free dangerous relationship assessment tool. By analyzing user responses to questions about the relationship, RUSafe calculates the cause for concern and connects the user with nearby emergency services and the WC&S Hotline.
WC&S celebrated 40 years of service to the Pittsburgh community as innovative leaders in the most effective approaches to helping survivors of intimate partner violence.
2015
Through initial funding provided by the United Way of Southwestern PA, the Immediate Needs Coordination Program was established to meet the immediate safety and basic needs of survivors.
2015 to 2017
WC&S embarks upon and completes the $12 million Shelter from the Storm capital campaign for a total transformation of our current facility. Rothschild Doyno Collaborative was awarded a Social Equity in Design Award in 2019 by the American Institute of Architects, Pittsburgh Chapter, for creating an environmentally and socially responsible space.
2017
The RIL Team is created to serve the emerging and evolving needs of domestic violence survivors who are refugees, immigrants, and/or limited English speakers.
STANDING FIRM, the business case to end partner violence, officially becomes a national program of Women’s Center & Shelter. This strategic merger adds vibrancy to prevention efforts, deepens connections within the corporate community, and broadens WC&S’ national reach.
2019
Pittsburgh City Council passed legislation to create a domestic violence (DV) unit within the police bureau and create the new positions of a DV sergeant, a DV detective specialist, and a civilian clerical specialist. The funding was provided by a $500,000 grant from the Nina Baldwin Fisher Foundation. WC&S Advocates helped implement the unit.
2020
As COVID-19 becomes a global pandemic, WC&S transitions much of its programming to virtual and begins campaigns to reach those experiencing domestic violence as much of the world is on lockdown. Text and chat features are added to Hotline Services.
WC&S received a competitive, two-year grant from the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency to once again deliver prevention curriculum in Pittsburgh schools.
2022
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and City of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey announced the creation of an Intimate Partner Violence Reform Initiative that will provide strategic direction in coordinating policy and system level work across agencies to improve a complex and fragmented system for intimate partner violence survivors.
2023
The Bright Sky DV app and website is launched in the United States by WC&S and Vodafone Americas Foundation at a panel discussion event that ran parallel to the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 2023).
WC&S receives re-accreditation by PANO. The accreditation establishes that WC&S upholds the highest standards of ethics and accountability in nonprofit governance, management, and operations.
WC&S is named a Vibrant Champion through participation in the Vibrant Index Initiative, a voluntary diagnostic tool evaluating how organizations institute diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures in comparison to best practices.
