Celebrating 20 Years with WEAVE
Memo from Executive Director, Beth Hassett

Post

20 years ago today I walked through the doors of WEAVE as its 278th employee. I had taken the job because I thought it would be difficult work that would challenge me and allow me to make a difference in the lives of countless women, men and children. And I was right. It was a heady time to jump into the fields of domestic violence and sexual assault. The OJ Simpson trial was in full swing and the issue of domestic violence was just becoming part of a national dialogue. We were just starting our prevention education work with youth in the schools in an effort to stop the violence before it starts. And the violence against women act had just been passed by congress, infusing momentum and funding into the movement.

Flashing forward two decades so many things have changed. By the end of this year we will have more than tripled the number of available Safehouse beds in our community. Human trafficking—something I had never heard of in the 1990’s—is a huge problem in the region that we are working to address. The internet has allowed us to better reach, educate and serve victims by offering resources and new forms of communication. And, the community recognizes that these are no longer private issues—domestic violence and sexual assault affect all of us at work, in our churches and in our neighborhoods and it will take all of us working together to stop these crimes.

And, so much has stayed the same. We continue to be a training ground for advocates, therapists, educators and attorneys who, when they leave WEAVE, take with them a deep understanding of the needs of victims of violence which makes our safety net stronger. We continue to be a leader in our field working on legislative initiatives that ensure victims are safe and perpetrators are held accountable. We continue to try innovative new solutions to ensuring the safety and healing of the families we serve. And, I continue to be awe inspired by the generosity of our community members who make our work possible through their contributions of time, in-kind goods and money.

Today I made a contribution to WEAVE in appreciation of all it has given to me these past 20 years—emotional growth, leadership opportunities, deep friendships and the most meaningful work I can imagine. Please consider joining me in ensuring that WEAVE will be strong for another two decades and beyond. Thank you for your support and your commitment to building a community that does not tolerate domestic violence and sexual assault.