Celebrating Over 40 years of Project Sage

1979

Women’s Emergency Services (WES) is created by a small group of women in northwest Connecticut. “We knew that violence was going on, and we decided we had to reach out to those women who felt so alone.”

1981

• The First meeting to establish a not-for-profit agency to meet the needs of domestic violence victims is held.

• Women’s Emergency Services is officially incorporated.

• Meetings are held in a space donated by Sharon Hospital.

• The mission statement reads: “WES is committed to the belief that no person has the right to abuse another. WES has been established in support of the rights of human beings to live free of violence and to make choices in their lives.”

1983

• The first program coordinator, Sue Kirber, is hired.

• The first newsletter is created and mailed to members of the community.

• 85 crisis calls are received; 15 women and 30 children are sheltered.

• A fundraising committee is formed. The annual budget is $15,380.

1985

• Letters are sent to town governments to request funding.

• WES contracts with the State of Connecticut to serve the towns of Kent, Cornwall, Salisbury, North Canaan, Falls Village, and Sharon (as well as residents of nearby New York and Massachusetts who do not have access to other services).

• WES is a founding member of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV). This state coalition ensures that all towns in Connecticut are covered by a member agency.

1986

Governor O’Neill signs into law a bill making family violence a specific crime under state law and allowing police to make arrests without warrants in domestic violence cases.

(cont’d)