Tag: willow

Deaf IGNITE to merge with Willow Domestic Violence Center

Willow Domestic Violence Center and Deaf IGNITE have come together in a formal partnership that will enhance services for deaf survivors of domestic abuse.

The two nonprofits have had an informal partnership for nearly a decade, but the new collaboration will combine the infrastructure strength and community partnerships of Willow with the specialized services for deaf survivors of violence offered by IGNITE.

Susan Demers-McLetchie
Susan Demers-McLetchie

“Joining forces with Willow is a win-win situation for both organizations,” said Susan Demers-McLetchie, executive director for Deaf IGNITE. “It allows us access to their wealth of resources, which will enhance our quality of services for deaf survivors.”

Greater Rochester is home to the nation’s largest deaf population per capita, officials noted. A recent study of 1,900 students at Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf found that deaf individuals were 150 percent more likely to fall victim to domestic violence.

Willow Center’s public office in downtown Rochester will now be home to Deaf IGNITE at Willow Center. Willow will provide administrative, grant writing and funding stream support, while Deaf IGNITE will become a program within Willow with access to all of Willow’s additional programs including hospital, counseling, court, shelter, advocacy, hotline and special initiatives. The affiliation leverages established relationships Willow has built over the last four decades through a vast network of partners, including service providers, law enforcement, the court system, the Hall of Justice and area hospital systems.

Meaghan Lacey de Chateauvieux
Meaghan Lacey de Chateauvieux

“This partnership will strengthen the ways our community responds to domestic violence and increase access to quality services provided in a culturally accessible way,” said Willow President and CEO Meaghan de Chateauvieux. “IGNITE brings a tremendous legacy, skillset and vital knowledge in the unique needs of deaf survivors that will be shared with the larger Willow team of 40-plus advocates.”

Susan Demers-McLetchie and Brittany Ellenbecker join the Willow team to lead the Deaf IGNITE Program at Willow Center. They also will support Willow Center staff with educational opportunities in deaf culture and American Sign Language training to ensure deaf survivors feel safe and welcome at Willow.

Deaf IGNITE’s Board Chair Kelly Metz Davis will now serve as a Willow Center board member and chair of the Deaf IGNITE Program advisory committee, which will ensure the IGNITE brand and legacy will carry forward as a beacon of hope for deaf survivors, officials said.

The partnership was made possible by the United Way Synergy Fund, which lends technical assistance and reorganizational support for non-profit mergers.

“This is an example of the power of United Way’s Synergy Fund to support nonprofits in finding alignment and exploring opportunities to strengthen services and fulfill their core mission,” said Jaime Saunders, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Rochester Inc. “This affiliation of Willow Domestic Violence Center and Deaf IGNITE builds on the strengths of each organization to best serve survivors of intimate partner violence by providing services and support that empowers survivors and provides much-needed safety.”

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer

Willow Domestic Violence Center names new leader

Meaghan Lacey de Chateauvieux
Meaghan Lacey de Chateauvieux

Willow Domestic Violence Center has tapped a five-year veteran of the nonprofit as its new leader.

Meaghan Lacey de Chateauvieux had for three months shared interim leadership responsibility with Mike Dedee, director of operations, and Marie Viavattine, director of programs & services, prior to being named president and CEO on Tuesday.

De Chateauvieux joined Willow in 2013 as director of development and marketing. During her tenure she successfully completed an $8.4 million capital campaign while spearheading 20 percent year-over-year growth in annual fund contributions and building Willow’s community of supporters.

The fundraising enabled Willow to open a new facility last year. A nearly $5 million grant from the state Homeless Housing and Assistance Corp., coupled with more than $3 million in philanthropic support helped open the center.

The new building features 49 beds and is the largest domestic violence shelter in Upstate New York. Willow has doubled the size of its counseling center and expanded its hotline call center to field more than 5,000 calls annually. In addition, the new site offers a first-of-its-kind onsite pet shelter to keep all family members safe and offers advanced protections and security system.

De Chateauvieux is a graduate of Nazareth College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in women’s studies. She also completed a master’s degree in political science at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Prior to joining Willow, de Chateauvieux served in a variety of roles in not-for-profits and university settings. She is active in the community on a variety of committees and was a graduate of Leadership Rochester in 2009.

“Willow’s 40-year history leading our community’s response to domestic violence, including the past five years of transformational growth, has created such momentum,” de Chateauvieux said in a statement, “to strengthen our partnerships, to expand our programs and prevention efforts and to remove barriers that survivors face on their journey to safety and healing. Willow’s future is bright thanks to our dedicated staff, board leadership and tremendous community support and collaboration.”

Willow’s board said de Chateauvieux displayed “tremendous leadership” during its transition, and worked hard to stabilize the organization. “Meaghan’s passion for our mission and values will ensure Willow’s important work continues and position it for an exciting future ahead,” officials said in the statement.

De Chateauvieux follows Marisol Ramos-Lopez, who was named chief executive in March and left abruptly in May. Ramos-Lopez was preceded by Bonnie DeVinney, who served in the leadership role on an interim basis when former head Jaime Saunders was named president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Rochester Inc. late last year.

Formerly known as Alternatives for Battered Women Inc., Willow’s mission is to prevent domestic violence and ensure every survivor has access to the services and supports needed along the journey to a safe and empowered life. It has served Monroe County for nearly 40 years and is the county’s only state-certified provider of domestic violence residential and nonresidential programs.

[email protected] / 585-653-4021
Follow Velvet Spicer on Twitter: @Velvet_Spicer