WellSpan donates Lewisburg land for future crime-victim center

A 2.88-acre land gift in Lewisburg could change how survivors across Union County get help after assault, abuse or other violent crime, putting future services in one visible place instead of scattering them across hospitals, court offices and temporary sites.

WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital donated the property to Transitions of PA for a future crime-victim center that supporters say would make counseling, legal support, housing help and other services easier to find and use. Mae-Ling Kranz said the gift reflected a major investment in survivor safety, healing and long-term access to community-facing services. For people who are often trying to navigate trauma while staying safe, the difference between a hidden office and a centralized center can shape whether they seek help at all.

Transitions said the project is still in the planning stage and did not give a construction timeline, but the donation was described as the key first step. The nonprofit said it wants a comprehensive hub, not a single-purpose office, because survivors in Union, Snyder and Northumberland counties often need several kinds of support at once. That can include advocacy, counseling, legal and financial assistance, housing services, support for children and community education.

The need has deep roots in the region. Transitions said it began in 1975, when women in the Sunbury, Selinsgrove and Lewisburg area organized around the reality that battered women needed more than emotional support and legal advice, they also needed physical safety. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, says it is committed to abuse prevention and breaking patterns of abuse, and says it is celebrating 50 years of incorporation in 2026. Outside listings describe it as operating two shelters for domestic-violence victims in the region, including one in Union County and one in Northumberland County.

The land donation also fits into WellSpan’s broader regional footprint. Evangelical Community Hospital became part of WellSpan Health on July 8, 2024, joining a system that WellSpan said includes more than 21,000 team members, 2,000 employed providers, 220 locations and eight hospitals, along with the region’s largest behavioral health network and a Level 1 Trauma Center. In 2025, Transitions and Central Susquehanna Opportunities also received $750,000 over three years from WellSpan for a housing-stability project that had already served 500 people, with 80% still housed six months later. Taken together, the land gift points to a larger regional shift toward keeping survivors safe, housed and connected to care in one place.