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 (Co-Chair) graduated from Middlebury College in February 2018 receiving a BA in Environmental Studies and Education. She is now the Assistant Director of Admissions at Overland Summers connecting families with opportunities to hike and backpack across the US and the world. Previously, Chelsea taught 2nd grade at Cornwall School for 5 years. 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 who enjoys hiking, yoga, nordic skiing, and reading children’s books and young adult literature.
Chelsea Colby
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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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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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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, sons, and dog. In her spare time she enjoys reading, biking, hiking, and doing any snow sport.
Caroline Corrente
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Deb Wales of Weybridge has worked in fundraising at Middlebury College for over 20 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 volunteer training and is now honored to serve on the Atria Collective board. Deb takes pride in watching her two twenty-something children become adults who participate meaningfully in their communities. In her spare time, she’s pursuing certification to teach Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
Deb Wales
Carolyn Balparda
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Crystal Jones is the Assistant Director of Leadership Education and Restorative Practices 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 Atria Collective offers our community. When she is not at work or at board meetings you can find her hanging out with her cat, Trixie, watching the latest reality television series, or reading a novel!
Crystal Jones
Sarah Buss
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Sarah is a non-profit professional with over a decade of experience in programming and communications, most notably driving early literacy initiatives at Reach Out and Read. She recently transitioned to utilizing her public health background as an Infection Preventionist. Sarah grew up in Vermont, earned a B.S. in Industrial Design, and later obtained a Master’s in Public Health as a Peace Corps fellow at the University of Arizona. During her Peace Corps service in Ghana, she learned sign language and taught visual arts at a school for the Deaf. Passionate about connecting communities through authentic storytelling, she highlights community voices, fosters understanding, and supports inclusion through her creative work. Sarah enjoys making earrings, throwing pottery, traveling, and playing soccer with her partner and two sons.