{ { Infobox person
| name = Ellen W. Berliner
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Ellen Wade
| birth_date = June 10, 1920
| birth_place = Bellflower, California, United States
| death_date = March 4, 2011
| death_place = St. Clair Hospital, Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, United States
| nationality =
| spouse = Arthur Frank Berliner
| occupation = Social justice and Alzheimer's Disease research advocate
| years_active = 1950s to 2011
| known_for = Pittsburgh Post-Gazettes Outstanding Citizen of the Year (1991) | notable_works = Co-founder, with Molly Rush, of the South Hills Association for Racial Equality (1970s)Co-founder, with Anne Steytler, of the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh }}Ellen W. Berliner''' (1920–2011) was an American activist and feminist who became known for her pioneering social justice work and Alzheimer's disease research advocacy.Jones, Diana Nelson. "She Never Hesitates to Help." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1992, pp. 9 and 13 (subscription required).
A co-founder, with Molly Rush, of the South Hills Association for Racial Equality during the 1960s, she subsequently co-founded the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh with Anne Steytler in 1974. One of the first six domestic violence response and prevention centers in the United States, the Women's Center helped to pave the way for the creation of similar crisis centers in every state across the nation by piloting programs and services to help women and children affected by intimate partner violence or sexual assault while educating government, law enforcement and medical professionals, as well as the general public about the causes and impact of such violence and potential ways to interrupt and prevent the cyclical problem.Jones, "She Never Hesitates to Help," Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1992, pp. 9 and 13.Martin, Del. Battered Wives, pp. 209–210. Volcano, California: Volcano Press, 1981.
In 1991, she was recognized for her contributions to society by the American Institute for Public Service as one of its Jefferson Awards for Public Service recipients. Interviewed about her social justice work in 1992, Berliner said: "The longer you live, the more you can see inequities. You just have to open your eyes. It's up to you whether you pick it up or leave it lay."
Formative years and family
Born in Bellflower, California on June 10, 1920, Ellen Wade was a daughter of an oil well driller. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she met her future husband, Arthur Frank Berliner. They were the parents of three sons and two daughters.Jones, "She Never Hesitates to Help," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1992, pp. 9 and 13.
She and her family later moved to Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where she embarked on her social justice career.Jones, "She Never Hesitates to Help," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1992, pp. 9 and 13.
Social justice advocacy and community service
During the 1960s, Ellen W. Berliner and a group of friends co-founded The Meeting Place in Pittsburgh's Manchester neighborhood. Initially designed to be a community gathering place, it soon became the site of planning meetings that enabled neighborhood residents to come together with the owners of Otto Dairy to acquire land on which they were able to build a community playground.
Berliner then co-founded the South Hills Association for Racial Equality with Molly Rush. She and Rush fought for civil rights, improved access to public educational opportunities for children and adults, and fair access to safe, affordable housing for residents in and beyond Mt. Lebanon. Berliner also initiated a series of public events, including the "No-Church Church" and community dinners that brought diverse groups together to explore ways to collaborate on a range of civil rights issues and helped to persuade local government leaders to investigate complaints of fair housing violations by area realtors.Jones, "She Never Hesitates to Help," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1992, pp. 9 and 13.
In addition, Berliner established an annual tradition for her community—hosting a pancake breakfast for area children on the final day of school each year. It was held in the front yard of her home, which had become known, by that time, as a safe place for women and children who were experiencing violence in their homes.Jones, "She Never Hesitates to Help," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 4, 1992, pp. 9 and 13.