About HAWC

About US
Healing Abuse

Working For Change

HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change) strives to help abused women, children, men, and nonbinary people live free from violence and fear. As a leading domestic abuse agency in Massachusetts, HAWC provides a domestic abuse helpline, emergency shelter, legal services, advocacy and counseling services to more than 2,500 families in the North Shore area each year.

Beyond providing this help, HAWC advocates for social and cultural change. With one in three women and one in four men experiencing abuse each year, domestic abuse is an epidemic. To raise awareness and bolster prevention efforts, HAWC supplies the public with education, volunteer opportunities, annual community events, and frequent updates on related news and legislation.

Once known as “Help for Abused Women and Their Children,” HAWC understands the complexity of abuse. Thus, we expanded our language capacity so abused women, men, non binary people, LGBTQ+ individuals, older adults, undocumented individuals, and people with disabilities can feel comfortable accepting our services.

For almost 40 years, HAWC has provided healing, freedom, and change to survivors throughout Massachusetts’ North Shore. 

What Drives Us

Our Mission

Our mission is to create social change by taking action against personal and societal patterns of violence and oppression.

HAWC’s mission is to create social change by taking action against personal and societal patterns of violence and oppression. HAWC provides services to survivors of domestic abuse residing in 23 cities and towns on Massachusetts’ North Shore in order that they may make informed, independent decisions about their futures.

HAWC Form 990 Returns

Form 990 FY2016

Form 990 FY2017

Form 990 FY2018

Form 990 FY2020

Form 990 FY2021