History

NewStory Center has a long history of serving Rutland County, Vermont.

Founded in 1979 as a safe haven for battered women, the organization was first known as the Rutland County Battered Women’s Shelter and was initially located in the former jail on Center Street in Rutland. The unfortunate symbolism of the jailhouse was not lost on the shelter’s founders, whose mission was to help battered women free themselves from the cycle of domestic violence.

Over time, and in connection with expanded service offerings, the organization moved to a new, more welcoming location, a house with the capacity for 24 beds. This site would become known as HerStory House. Many in the community still affectionately refer to our emergency shelter by this name. In 1981, the organization changed its name to Rutland County Women’s Network & Shelter (RCWNS), a name by which it was known for many years.

In 2017, as the result of our ever-evolving understanding of domestic and sexual violence in the community and the desire to provide services and support that extend to all members of Rutland County—women, men, and children,—the organization chose a name reflective of our future vision, NewStory Center.

At NewStory Center, we envision a culture in Rutland County that does not tolerate violence, creating a community that offers a compassionate path to a lifetime of safety. The name NewStory Center and its tagline, “turning the page on violence,” reinforce the message that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault can become survivors, and that each survivor can truly write a new story.

NewStory Center provides services and support that facilitate the process.

How will you rewrite your story?