The 23rd WALK for HAWC in Salem, Mass. on Sunday, April 26, was a great success, with more than $100,000 raised to support the programs and services offered by HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change). The proceeds from the agency’s biggest fundraiser directly impact the variety of services HAWC offers its clients who are coping with domestic violence-related issues in 23 cities and towns across the North Shore.
“This year’s walk went even better than we expected,” said Anthony DiPietro, HAWC’s executive director. “Our staff, board of directors, and clients are so grateful to the nearly 1,000 people who joined us for the event. The contributions raised from this event are truly crucial to our ability to help the thousands of clients we serve annually.”
The walk featured speaker Lovern Gordon, president of Love Life Now Foundation, Inc., who coped with domestic abuse as a child-witness and, later, a victim herself for many years. Her nonprofit organization seeks to raise awareness about domestic violence—a quest that correlates very closely to HAWC’s mission.
“I wish that when my mother was going through her abuse and later when I was in my situation that we knew about agencies like HAWC,” Gordon said. “The advocates at HAWC have the essential tools to teach victims who often feel worthless and deserving of their pain how to cope with and overcome violence.”
“After years of involvement in the domestic violence awareness realm,” she added, “I am so inspired to see agencies like HAWC make a real difference in the lives of others.”
HAWC is grateful to Eastern Bank, the event’s presenting sponsor, for its significant support of the agency’s work.
About HAWC
HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change) is the oldest and the most comprehensive domestic violence agency on Massachusetts’ North Shore. HAWC’s mission is to create social change by taking action against personal and societal patterns of violence and oppression. HAWC provides services and support to victims of domestic abuse residing in 23 cities and towns on Massachusetts’ North Shore. These services include 24-hour hotline, emergency family shelter, individual advocacy, support groups, court advocacy, a Parent-Child Trauma Recovery Program, Family Law and Immigration Law, and community outreach and education. For more information please visit www.hawcdv.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.