Respond, Inc.

RESPOND is a nonprofit domestic violence agency that helps survivors find safety, stability and hope across Eastern Massachusetts. It was New England’s first domestic violence agency and one of the first such organizations in the country. Its work spans emergency shelter, counseling, crisis support and safe housing, and its help is confidential and free. Services are open to all survivors regardless of background, identity, age or gender, and the agency works with thousands of survivors each year.

The organization traces its roots to the early 1970s, when four women in Somerville opened their own homes to women and children fleeing abuse, long before shelters and crisis lines were common. Those founding mothers formally established RESPOND in 1974. Today its programs include a coordinated safety response program, community intervention and education, residential services, a housing program and a young parents program, along with prevention work focused on healthy relationships.

What to Know

• RESPOND treats domestic violence as a serious public health issue.
• Supporters can become Room Stewards, host fundraisers or donate items from the agency’s current needs list.
• The website includes resources on teen dating violence.
• The agency is a member of the Malden Chamber of Commerce.