History

The Shenandoah Women’s Center, Inc. (SWC), is a non-profit,
community-based agency that was founded in 1977 by a group of
community volunteers who wanted to help women who were being
abused by their partners. They formed the area’s first crisis hotline for
battered women.

Since then, SWC has grown into a comprehensive resource and
counseling center offering multiple Eastern Panhandle of West
Virginia.

At SWC, we are committed to providing services that address the
needs of domestic violence and sexual assault victims/survivors and
their non-offending family members. In addition, we strive to educate
the community so as to change the fundamental believes and
practices that allow abuse to continue.

SWC is funded in part by the West Virginia Department of Health and
Human Services, the West Virginia Division of Criminal Justice
Services, the U.S. Department of Justice Violence Against Women Act
and Victims of Crime Act, the United Way, the Baltimore Conference of
United Methodist Women, the West Virginia Foundation for Rape
Information and Services, United Way of Berkeley County, United Way
of Jefferson County, United Way of Morgan County, Phillip Morris
Foundation, U.S.Cellular, and private contributions and donations.





Mission Statement

The Shenandoah Women’s Center is dedicated to the self-
empowerment of battered or abused persons and their children, and,
therefore, is committed to the elimination of personal and societal
violence in the lives of women, men and children.

The Shenandoah Women’s Center believes that violence against
women and children results from the use of threat of force or actual
force to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate
relationships, and also results from domination and societal abuses of
power. The Shenandoah Women’s Center recognizes that the abuses
of power in society fostering battering and perpetuate conditions
which condone violence against women and children. Therefore, it is
the mission of the Shenandoah Women’s Center to work for the major
societal changes necessary to eliminate both personal and societal
violence against all people.

The Shenandoah Women’s Center, as a community resource center,
offers counseling, education, shelter, support, and advocacy for any
person who experienced or is threatened by domestic or sexual
violence. The Shenandoah Women’s Center identifies, investigates,
and seeks to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault.
About Us