How Turners Falls Women's Resource Center Came To Be

Historically there is a misconception that violent crime and abuse are endemic only to those who live in the inner city. The problems of the city overshadow the crises that rural communities are encountering, and for this reason, the rural communities may be overlooked. In reality, the rural community experiences crime, violence, unemployment, child abuse, neglect, gang activity and drug abuse, issues often assumed to occur only in dense urban areas. Turners Falls, Massachusetts is one such rural community, no stranger to the harsh conditions more frequently found in a city setting.

Turners Falls has a history of violence against women. In a March 1997 article in the Boston Sunday Globe, our community was named the "Rape Capital of Massachusetts," with more rapes per capita in 1995 than any other town in the state. According to a 1996 Community Health Assessment, domestic violence in Turners Falls led the list of crimes that have shown the largest increases in recent years. The root causes of violence are many. It is impossible to know the complete explanation of any act of violence. Respect for each other is the key to preventing violence. Out of our storefront in downtown Turners Falls where poverty, crime, joblessness and domestic violence are daily realities, women feel safe to gather, to learn, to depend on each other, and to problem-solve together to build a better life and a stronger community. We strive to give women the tools they need to deal with their lives and make healthier choices. A key component of our programming is offering women the opportunity in a structured, peer-led setting to tap their voices, tell their stories, and begin to heal one story at a time, one song at a time. A common thread runs through all of our programs: How can we prevent violence and make peace in our community?

The Turners Falls Women's Resource Center was created out of a joint endeavor by the Franklin County Women's Research Project and Montague Catholic Social Ministries in response to domestic violence in the community. We serve any woman from the community regardless of what they do or do not believe.

Montague Catholic Social Ministries is an independent community based non-profit organization. The board of directors is made up of the local community and is supported by public resources, private foundations, local parishes and individual contributions. MCSM mission is to strengthen and encourage and support families in our community. We do this through outreach, family education, positive conflict resolution, and leadership development and group empowerment. MCSM does not teach religion.