Domestic violence/intimate partner violence is not about violence. It is about having power over a person. It is about coercive control of that person. What is so bewildering to the victim is that their abuser is supposed to love them. How can this be love?

It isn’t.

Women’s Support Services (WSS) has been providing safety, healing and hope to individuals and families affected by domestic violence since 1981. Based in Sharon, CT, our 13-member team works throughout Northwest Connecticut and the border regions of New York and Massachusetts.

Our mission is grounded in the knowledge that we cannot do this work alone. Our partnerships with CT State Police, healthcare and emergency services providers, and social services are critical to reaching victims and accessing the resources they need for safety. Our programming in the schools helps children and young people learn to navigate relationships of all kinds in their lives, confidently setting their own boundaries and compassionately understanding the boundaries of others. Our engagement with the broader community, whether through our volunteers, business partners or local agencies and religious institutions, is critical for raising awareness, connecting to those who need our help, and creating an environment that supports victims, condemns abuse, and fosters a healthier community for all.

 The Foundation for Community Health has been a key funder and champion of our work. Through the provision of generous financial support and innovative grant opportunities, FCH has challenged WSS to think more strategically and to plan more boldly about our role in the broader community. 

For more information visit https://www.wssdv.org.