Our story
A dedicated group of community members came together to make a difference for families in Addison County who were victims of domestic and sexual violence.
The interagency collaboration, work of concerned citizens, and community groups were instrumental in starting the Addison County Battered Women's Project in September 1980 under the umbrella of the Addison County Community Action Group. On February 4, 1982, the Addison County Battered Women's Project was incorporated as its own entity. It was organized for the purpose of "promoting the social welfare of Addison County by reducing the incidence of domestic violence, and primarily, the incidence of abuse against women."
From 1988—2001, our organization was called Addison County Women In Crisis (ACWIC).
In 2001, the name “WomenSafe” was officially adopted to signify the mission of the organization, and to acknowledge that intimate partner violence disproportionately affects women and girls (and especially women of color).
Over the years, the organization was centered in a variety of sites around Middlebury and Bristol. As a result of a dedicated Board of Directors and the generous support of the Addison County community, we were able to purchase the present Middlebury office building in the spring of 1998 and an additional building in 2018.
Throughout all of these changes the dedicated staff, volunteers and board members of WomenSafe have ensured high quality services for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their children. The office has accessible parking and provides a safe, comfortable setting for support groups and individual meetings with trained staff.
Our north star is equity.
Our core values are collective liberation, transformation, safety, justice, and joy. Everything we do, from goals to process, orients around how to support everyone in accessing these five fundamental human rights.
Our board
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Chelsea Colby (Chair) graduated from Middlebury College in February 2018 receiving a BA in Environmental Studies. She is now the teacher of nineteen flexible, creative, intelligent, and thoughtful 1st and 2nd graders at Cornwall School. Prior to joining the board, she was a long time MiddSafe advocate and a volunteer at New Beginnings in Meredith, Hampshire. She is an adoring bunny momma to two who enjoys hiking, yoga, nordic skiing, and reading children’s books and young adult literature.
Chelsea Colby
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Ellen Whelan-Wuest is a Deputy Program Director for the Council of State Governments Justice Center, where she manages teams leading Justice Reinvestment initiatives in states across the country. Over her career Ellen has worked for federal, state and local government offices in Chicago, New York and North Carolina. Ellen holds a BA in Latin American history and sociology from Middlebury College, and an MA in public policy from Duke University. Ellen and her family live in Cornwall and in addition to the board of Atria Collective, she’s a member of the Addison Central School District Community Partnership Council, and the Wellspring singers.
Ellen Whelan-Wuest
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Rebecca (Becky) Strum (Secretary) moved from the New York Metro area to Vermont in June of 2016 and joined the Board that year. A stage director and Arts Educator, Becky holds a PhD in Performance Studies from NYU, an MFA in Acting from Columbia University and a BA in English from Dickinson College. While Artistic Director of the Academy for Visual and Performing Arts at Bergen Academies in Hackensack, New Jersey, she received a SURDNA Arts Teaching Fellowship in 2007, the Princeton University Award for Distinguished Secondary School Teaching in 2009 and the Montclair University Award for Excellence in Teaching Theatre in 2012. She lives with her partner, Chuck and rescue dog Catesby and cherishes visits from her grown children Kate and Alec who live on the West Coast.
Rebecca Strum
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Caroline is the chef/owner of Haymaker Bun Company. She holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and African Studies from The University of Vermont. Prior to going to pastry school in Paris, she worked in low income housing and financial education at Champlain Housing Trust and the Champlain Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO). While working at CVOEO, she taught financial education and financial empowerment classes at domestic violence shelters. Caroline lives in Middlebury with her husband, son, and dog. In her spare time she enjoys reading, biking, hiking, and doing any snow sport.
Caroline Corrente
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Elaine Orozco Hammond serves as the director of BOLD and the Assistant Director of Community Standards here at Middlebury College. Originally from the DC suburbs, Elaine holds a law degree from the University of Baltimore and, for nearly a decade, ran a non-profit organization assisting low-income, high-achieving DC students attend college. She is passionate about social justice, including equity in education, civil rights, and women’s issues, and served on last year’s local school district’s Task Force on Racism, Bias and Discrimination. Elaine enjoys running, eating sushi and dark chocolate, and encouraging her partner and three kids to drink green smoothies.
Elaine Orozco Hammond
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Deb Wales of Weybridge has worked in fundraising at Middlebury College for 18 years. Prior to that, Deb practiced law in Vermont and a few other New England states. Deb holds an A.B. from Smith College and a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire School of Law. Keenly aware that domestic violence crosses all boundaries, she was moved to take the training offered by WomenSafe and is now honored to serve on the Board. Deb takes pride in watching her two twenty-something children become adults who participate meaningfully in their communities. Deb enjoys reading non-fiction books—particularly on topics of psychology and Buddhism—often with a cat or two on her lap. She also serves on the Board of EastView at Middlebury and aspires to do stand-up comedy.
Deb Wales
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Margaret Miles (Treasurer) is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Castleton University. She is also a Licensed Independent Clinical Social. Margaret is currently earning her D.S.W. from the University of St. Thomas. Her dissertation explores how baccalaureate social work educators utilize classroom participation as a pedagogical tool. Margaret grew up in Vermont and recently returned to the area after living in Chicago for the past decade. She lives in Salisbury with her partner Wade.
Margaret Miles
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Crystal Jones is the Assistant Director of Education for Equity and Inclusion at Middlebury College. She is originally from Illinois but absolutely loves living in Vermont. She is passionate about social justice work and education and is looking forward to all the ways she can support the incredible advocacy and care WomenSafe offers our community. When she is not talking to students, faculty, and staff about ways to increase equity and inclusion in the Middlebury College and greater community, you can find her hanging out with her cat, Trixie, watching the latest reality television series, or reading a fantasy novel!
Crystal Jones
Alexis Caswell
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Alexis is a Legislative Policy Analyst, Trade Association Services Manager, and Public Affairs Professional with FOCUS/Leonine Public Affairs in Montpelier. Her work focuses on education, artificial intelligence, and data privacy legislation. Originally from Carmel, New York, she earned a BFA from Goddard College in Vermont before earning a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from St. John’s University while living and working in Italy and England. She has worked on several political campaigns, including as a Fellow for Obama for America in 2012 and as an intern at the Vermont Statehouse. She enjoys baking sourdough bread, cooking, and reading. She currently lives in the Greater Boston Area with her husband Tom, their child, and two cats, Ziggy Stardust and Friday.