We are thrilled to announce the availability of our archival collection to the public. This collection is the culmination of over 50 years of supporting survivors.

Collection Overview:
Creator: Women In Transition, 718 Arch Street, Suite 401N, Philadelphia, PA, 19106, 215-564-5301, http://www.helpwomen.org/
Date Range: 1971 to 2016 (bulk 1985-1995), with ongoing contributions by the organization.
Size: Approximately 14 linear feet.
Language: English, with a small number of items in Spanish.

Information On Use:

• Access to the collection is by appointment only. Please contact WIT’s Development and Communications Associate at 215-564-5301 x116 or email donate@helpwomen.org.

• Original collection materials are available for use on the WIT premises only.

• Digital versions or photocopies of original materials may be provided at the discretion of the organization.

• Requests for permission to publish should be directed to the WIT Executive Director and will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

• Material with confidential information is not accessible for public use.
  

A heartfelt thank you to Vicki Russo, who volunteered countless hours of her time to bringing WIT’s archives to life.

We’ve digitized a sampling of the archives for you to peruse to get a sense of WIT’s incredible history. The full archives are available to view in-person only.

• 1972: WIT’s second newsletter ever (.pdf) | Check out WIT’s second newsletter ever - typed up on a typewriter. Humble beginnings, when our founding mother’s weren’t even sure if their project would get off the ground permanently.

• 1972: Evaluation of the First Year’s Service (.pdf) | This is a four page document evaluating WIT’s first year. WIT’s early work was focused on women contemplating divorce and separation

• 1975: An episode of Woman, originally aired on September 23, 1975 on WNED (link to American Archive of Public Broadcasting) | Watch a video interview with Carolyn Kott Washburne and Jennifer Fleming as they discuss their work at Women In Transition and their newly released book, “Women In Transition: A Handbook on Separation and Divorce.”

• 1977: Survival Information For Women: Family Court, Child Custody, Domestic Violence, Legal, Services, Welfare, and More (.pdf) | WIT used to be prolific producers of publications, like this 30-page handbook covering everything a woman might need while going through a divorce or separation.

• 1979: Who WIT is | This early document includes a WIT success story, and a bit about where the organization was at in 1979.

• 1982: Facilitator’s Guide to Working with Separated and Divorced Women (.pdf) | This 114-page tome covers everything that WIT was doing, from WIT’s approach and model to evaluation forms for future groups to use. The goal was so that other organizations could learn from our work and apply it to their processes. (Bonus: View draft cover designs here)

• 1982: Mission Statement (.pdf) | WIT’s mission statement in 1982 puts forth a message of client-fueled empowerment and independence, with mindfulness of the various institutional and personal obstacles which women in transition may face.

From 1996 until the early 2000s, Women In Transition ran the Clothesline Project, a visual art project where survivors reflected on their journey with WIT through artwork printed on T-shirts. The art speaks for itself. We are so proud to have supported these survivors in their journey to safety and justice.