WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — These photos, lined up inside Wilkes-Barre's THINK Center, show parts of a 4.1 million-dollar expansion recently completed for the Domestic Violence Service Center, named in honor of former executive director Paula M. Triano.
"Paula M. Triano was the executive director of domestic violence for 18 years. She started in 2004. And she unfortunately developed metastatic cancer and died in January of 2023," explained board president Michael Messersmith.
This expansion will add 36 beds to the center's current capacity, which it says is much needed.
"In the United States, every nine seconds, someone is a survivor of domestic violence, and within Luzerne County, we are six in the state for domestic violence homicides," said Executive Director Marsha Pigga.
"Only 3% of the population in the US experiences domestic abuse annually. Stated differently, that's 10 million people in the US every year," said Messersmith.
With the growing number of survivors and the need for help, the center's partners say they are grateful for the city, state, and federal funds that helped make this happen and for their discretion when coming to their aid.
"We could not hold the ceremony at our center because now the Paula Triano complex because of the risks associated with some of the perpetrators. They're the guys out there that are causing all this domestic abuse, and we had to have it in a place that was safe," added Messersmith.
Domestic Violence Service Center
PO Box 2177 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703-2177
HOTLINES:
570-823-7312
800-424-5600
TTY: 570-823-5853