Our History

Organizational Timeline & Milestones

Women Against Abuse, Inc. began in the mid-1970s as a part-time hotline in a women’s center, and has grown to become one of the leading advocates and service providers for victims of domestic violence.

1976: Women Against Abuse, Inc. is founded as a part-time domestic violence hotline in a neighborhood women’s center. Based on the needs expressed by hotline callers, the agency works to create an emergency shelter for victims and their children. Carol Tracy was a founding member of the board of directors of Women Against Abuse.

1977: Women Against Abuse opens the emergency shelter in a small rented house which accommodates eight to ten families. That first shelter was just a humble rowhouse on Germantown Avenue. It sat next to a noisy bar and had one toilet. And with no publicity whatsoever beyond a help hotline run out of the Germantown YMCA, that shelter filled up overnight. Within hours of opening, 12 families crowded into the three-bedroom house. At times, people slept in the hallways, and residents took turns cooking meals. Later that year, Women Against Abuse begins a legal counseling program.

1978: Women Against Abuse opens its Legal Center – one of the first in the nation dedicated to the unique needs of domestic violence victims, offering victims one-on-one support, information and assistance in both civil and criminal cases.

1979: Women Against Abuse begins to build community support, and grows from a staff of six to 26 members. The Emergency Shelter relocates to a larger facility donated by the City of Philadelphia, with space for up to 46 women and children at a time.

1980: The agency establishes support programs at the Emergency Shelter to empower residents to live independently.

1985: Founding Board Member, Carol Tracy, steps down. In 2014, Women Against Abuse will name its second safe haven Carol’s Place in honor of this visionary leader.

1987: Women Against Abuse opens Sojourner House, the region’s first transitional housing program for domestic abuse survivors and their children. It provides apartments to 12 families at a time, for up to 18 months as they transition to independent living.

1988 – 1999 (1990s): Women Against Abuse continually enhances both the quality and accessibility of its programs and services to best meet the changing needs of clients. New initiatives include the establishment of an Education and Training Department to provide community education and awareness to domestic violence; summer and after school programs for children residing at the Emergency Shelter and Sojourner House; and legal support for underserved victims of domestic violence.

2000: Women Against Abuse creates a computer lab and a medical advocacy project for women and children residing at the Emergency Shelter. Women Against Abuse also launches a Disability Legal Service Project to meet the needs of survivors with disabilities.

2005: Women Against Abuse leads a partnership with the City of Philadelphia and fellow domestic violence service providers to create the Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline – a city-wide 24-hour free point of access for crisis intervention, resources and in-take to the Emergency Shelter. That same year, the Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Committee – a collaboration of victim service providers and the law enforcement sector – is established to improve survivor safety.

2006: Women Against Abuse launches its STAR Program (Students Talking About Relationships) to promote healthy relationships and prevent teen dating violence. STAR takes place in local high schools and middle schools in Philadelphia. Over the years, STAR will evolve into the organization's SAFER™ (Safety Awareness For Every Relationship) curriculum.

2007: Women Against Abuse relocates its Emergency Shelter and expands to accommodate 100 women and children at a time.

2008: Women Against Abuse launches on-site behavioral health services at the Emergency Shelter to empower victims to manage the symptoms of the trauma they have experienced. Women Against Abuse also launches its first annual iPledge® Campaign – a social awareness initiative that calls on the community to play an active role in ending domestic violence.

2009: Women Against Abuse begins providing the Philadelphia Police Department, 9-1-1 operators and other first responders with training on the dynamics of domestic violence.

2010: Women Against Abuse launches the Telephone Outreach Project (TOP) which provides follow-up assistance to high-risk victims of domestic violence after a 911 incident. The Telephone Outreach Counselor is able to immediately provide safety planning, connect victims with appropriate social and legal services, and provide support to assist victims through the civil and criminal legal systems.

2011: Women Against Abuse leads a pilot partnership with Project H.O.M.E. and six nonprofits to provide integrated behavioral health services at St. Elizabeth’s Wellness Center in a low-income neighborhood that experiences domestic violence at a level twice the city average.

2012: Women Against Abuse establishes the Safe at Home program to provide community-based trauma-informed case management paired with permanent affordable housing or short-term rental assistance to empower survivors to sustain their independence from an abusive partner. Permanent supportive housing units are leveraged through a partnership with Mission First Housing Group.

2013: Women Against Abuse completes a $3 million renovation and expansion project for Sojourner House which included gut rehabilitation of the 100-year-old buildings and the construction of a new building that increased housing capacity by 25%. That same year, Women Against Abuse secures funding to provide up to 45 households with temporary rental assistance and subsidized housing so that they can transition into safe communities.

2013: Women Against Abuse creates a dedicated position to focus on public policy and systems change. Public policy manages all legislative, administrative and budget advocacy at the federal, state and local level for the agency, as well as the agency’s systems change efforts. That same year, Women Against Abuse begins working with partners from across the city to create a coordinated community response to domestic violence. This effort will grow to become Shared Safety, revolutionizing how Philadelphia responds to domestic and sexual violence, as well as human trafficking and reproductive coercion.

2014: Women Against Abuse opens a second 100-bed safe haven in Philadelphia for survivors of domestic violence and their children, doubling Philadelphia’s emergency shelter capacity for families experiencing abuse. That same year, Women Against Abuse co-locates a Domestic Violence Liaison within the City of Philadelphia Office of Supportive Housing central intake for families to screen for domestic violence among the general shelter population.

2015: Women Against Abuse achieves Sanctuary® Certification, becoming 1 of only 2 domestic violence organizations in the world to hold this designation. This same year, Women Against Abuse pilots an innovative partnership – the Safe Families Legal Project – with the City of Philadelphia Dept. of Human Services.

2016: Women Against Abuse celebrates 40 years of service to survivors of intimate partner violence. Under Women Against Abuse’s leadership, more than 60 stakeholder organizations galvanize behind Shared Safety: Philadelphia’s approach to relational violence. Mayor Kenney establishes a first of its kind Director of Domestic Violence Strategies to help solidify and oversee this city-wide work. That same year, Women Against Abuse staff form a Racial Justice Committee as the organization intentionally prioritizes social equity within its work.

2017: Women Against Abuse becomes the first Philadelphia nonprofit to receive the prestigious Lipman Family Prize from the University of Pennsylvania for its leadership in pioneering Shared Safety. Selected from an international pool of more than 100 candidates, Women Against Abuse received a $250,000 financial award, along with several educational and professional development opportunities through the Wharton School.

2018: Women Against Abuse is re-certified in the Sanctuary® Model, a process designed to ensure the organization's fidelity to the practice of trauma-informed care.

2019: For the first time in more than 40 years, Women Against Abuse opens its emergency safe haven doors to ALL survivors. This shift in residential services is propelled by a commitment to serving everyone experiencing domestic violence.

2020: Women Against Abuse continues to operate all of its life-saving services during the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting programming for the safety of clients and staff members. In November, the organization launches Web Chat, a chatting service for people experiencing relationship abuse who are unable to call the hotline. While offering a chatting service had been a longtime strategic plan priority, the urgency behind this need was elevated by the COVID-19 pandemic that forced many to quarantine with abusive partners and restricted their ability to make a phone call.

2021: Women Against Abuse hires Joanna Otero-Cruz as Executive Director and President.

2023: Women Against Abuse renovates and expands Ameya's Place, one of its 100-bed emergency safe havens. This $3.6 million project updated major systems in need of repair, added private bathrooms to each resident bedroom, and will allow the organization to serve approximately 33 more people each year.