The Second Step

The Second Step is a Newton nonprofit that provides free, trauma-informed services to survivors of domestic violence throughout Greater Boston and beyond. Its wraparound support includes safety planning, legal services, housing stabilization, support groups and community education, delivered by experienced attorneys, advocates and educators. The organization works with each survivor to chart an individual path toward a life free from abuse, treating survivors as the experts in their own lives.

Founded in 1992, The Second Step began by offering transitional housing for survivors and has since grown into a full continuum of care organized around three program areas: Legal Services, Intervention and Advocacy, and Prevention Education. Each year it helps stabilize more than 600 adult survivors of intimate partner violence and helps break the cycle of abuse for more than 900 children. It also works to raise public awareness, including guidance for parents on teen dating.

What to Know

• About two-thirds of the annual budget comes from individual donors, with the rest from government contracts and grants.
• Anyone who suspects they are in an abusive relationship can contact an advocate to discuss options and plan for safety.
• The organization has supported thousands of survivors over more than 30 years.