The longtime agency that has provided help to victims of sexual and domestic violence since 1976 is expanding its services, which its acting executive director says is a double-edged sword because it means people still need those services.

Carla Oleska, acting executive director of the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition, said the agency is increasing the hours people can stop in without an appointment each week, has added four new full-time counselors and advocates and has welcomed several new board members.

“For over 40 years, this organization has never turned its back on the people of Franklin County-North Quabbin area,” Oleska said. “And, what a lot of people don’t realize is we serve not only women, but all genders, all races, everyone who needs us.”

She said one of the new counselors will work specifically with LGBTQ survivors, and another will work with transgender individuals. The two others will be in the Safe Plan division, working with people in court who need assistance getting restraining orders and other issues.

“We are very proud of our committed staff,” Oleska said. “Five NELCWIT employees who between them have worked here for a total of 65 years, were recently recognized by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance on their service anniversaries.”

She said everyone who was honored works as a counselor or advocate — they have all have been at NELCWIT for at least a decade.

Today, after adding the new staff members, NELCWIT employs 14 full-time staff and one part-timer who serve both Franklin County and the North Quabbin region out of Orange.

All of NELCWIT’s survivor services are provided free of charge — neither health insurance nor proof of citizenship are requested or required. Services are available in both English and Spanish and a multi-language interpreter program is available for other languages, she said.

NELCWIT might be best known for its 24-hour crisis hotline. Other services include counseling, courtroom and other advocacy and educational programs geared toward preventing sexual and domestic violence.

Oleska said what people might not know is that NELCWIT started as a grass-roots response to domestic abuse.

“Four women literally were sitting around a kitchen table discussing what could be done about it,” Oleska said. “Forty years later, we’re going strong.”

Oleska said sadly, last year was one of the busiest in NELCWIT’s history.

“We had so many hotline calls and advocacy and counseling cases,” she said.

Oleska said the nonprofit participates in all types of events and vigils each year. She said it loves the collaboration of all social services agencies across the county and beyond.

She said in addition to scheduled appointments, anyone can walk into the main office at 479 Main St. between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday for a “walk-in” conversation with a staff member.

NELCWIT’s Franklin County Community Visitation Program is a separate program offering supervised visitation for children whose families need an alternative to unsupervised visits between children and non-custodial parents.

NELCWIT is funded by the United Way of Franklin County, Greenfield Savings Bank, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance and many local businesses and individuals.

“It’s going to be our 50th anniversary in just seven years,” Oleska said. “It doesn’t seem possible. We’re always thinking about what we can do next. I hope we start getting to the root causes of abuse and violence, get to what brings people to that point.”

She said she would love to see NELCWIT lead the charge in seeing a decline in domestic violence in this area.

“We’ll keep providing those services as long as they are needed, though,” Oleska said. “But, I’d love to see a day when no one is at our door.”

Call the hotline at 413-772-0860 or go to the main office on Main Street during operating hours. For more information about NELCWIT, visit: www.nelcwit.org