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'We're Coming Out of Hiding,' says CEO of Domestic Violence Center

For the first time in 40 years, Willow Domestic Violence Center, which used to be known as Alternatives for Battered Women, has a publicly known address.

The nonprofit's administrative offices and training center now occupies just less than 5,000 square feet of space in the Strong-Todd House at 693 East Ave. in Rochester.  CEO Jaime Saunders says the decision to move to a visible location was quite deliberate.                    

"Because we need to destigmatize domestic violence; we need to be that resource and we can no longer hide in the dark as if ashamed by domestic violence as a hidden issue."

The public location also serves some practical purposes.

"We have monthly trainings; hotline calls will be answered here,” Saunders said. “And even more powerful is those who want to help will have a place to go. We posted on Facebook we posted that we needed a new car seat to get a mom and her young child from the hospital to our shelter, and now we have a place where that can be dropped off and donated."

The location of Willow's emergency shelter, counseling center and apartment housing for victims of abuse will still remain private in accordance with state law.

A new, gender-neutral shelter and space for the pets of abuse victims is still under construction.  Willow is in the midst of an $8 million campaign to fund the new facilities; $7.3 million has already been raised.

Willow is also launching a new awareness campaign to spread the word on billboards and radio and TV ads that "abuse is abuse.”

"And the intent is to reduce these diminishing words that we say, 'It was just a shove,' or 'Sometimes it happens,' " Saunders said. “It really is removing those diminishing words and calling what it is. Abuse is abuse and we have to talk about it."

Saunders says one in three women and one in four men will be the victim of domestic violence in his or her life. Monroe County's domestic violence rate is three times the state average.