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Women’s Center coordinator
wins award for victim advocacy
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Melissa Wintrow, coordinator of the Boise State University Women’s Center, was honored on June 7, 2005, for her continued work with crime victim advocacy.
The Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance (ICDVVA) honored her with the Award of Excellence, which is designed to recognize an individual or program demonstrating exceptional support of crime victims.
Wintrow received the award during the ICDVVA’s annual “Three Days in June” conference on Crime Victim Assistance, held in Boise.
Wintrow has been working as an advocate for domestic and sexual violence victims for a number of years. Just during her five years at Boise State, she has helped to write and implement the Boise State Sexual Assault Response Communication Protocol, as well as the university’s Sexual Assault Reporting and Resource Guide.
In addition, she helped develop a 24-hour sexual assault crisis hotline for students, faculty, and staff. Not only does she recruit and train all hotline volunteers, she also answers calls herself every weekday, two nights a week, and two weekends every month.
“Five years ago, I was the first full-time person with the honor of being hired to work directly for the Women’s Center,” Wintrow said. “At the time, there was very little in existence in the way of programs, and I’m proud that I helped build the center from the ground up.”
The Women’s Center continues to grow each year. Last year alone, they received 55 calls regarding violence, up five from the year before. Wintrow feels that this isn’t because violence is increasing in the area, but because the Women’s Center is successfully extending its reach and encouraging more people to come forward if they need help.
“Even though I may not get a law or policy changed, I feel good knowing that I helped an individual going through a rough time,” Wintrow said.
Her reach also extends beyond the university. She works closely with community groups such as the Boise Women and Children’s Alliance, and is presently assisting in two cases of domestic violence. In addition to supporting the victims through the court process, Wintrow also helps relocate victims to safe housing and assists them in finding financial and legal resources.
“This award is the best honor I’ve ever received because it’s directly supporting the work I do with victim advocacy,” Wintrow said.
Wintrow graduated from Ohio’s Miami University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in English/Literature.
She then went on to earn her master’s in Higher Education in 1990. She has held positions at Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, and Portland State University before moving to Boise in August of 1999. She became the Women’s Center coordinator in 2000.
The ICDVVA’s mission is to fund programs that serve victims of crime and to help victims through legislation, advocacy, training, and public awareness. It also serves as an advisory body for programs dealing with victims of abuse, such as the Women’s Center.
Emily Poitevin
News Writer
