MOUNT VERNON – The Board of Directors at New Directions, the Domestic Abuse Shelter of Knox County, has selected Matthew Hellman to fill the position of Executive Director following the recent passing of Mary Hendrickson.
“On behalf of New Directions Board of Directors I welcome Matthew to this community and to this organization. We believe his experience positions him well to continue to grow the legacy that Mary left to Knox county.“ said Laura Noonen, the recently-installed President of the Board.
Mr. Hellman is an attorney of nearly fifteen years with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the United States Department of Justice. The last seven years, as part of the Attorney General’s Crime Victim Services Section, he has worked on issues including domestic violence, sexual assault, victim notification, child and elder abuse, and human trafficking.
“I am honored that the Board of Directors has entrusted me to lead an organization that is so vital to Knox County,” said Mr. Hellman. “Realizing that there will be challenges ahead, I am confident that we – the dedicated Board, the talented and hardworking staff, and myself – can continue to grow what Mary nurtured for over thirty years.”
Mary Hendrickson helped found New Directions in 1983 and was its only executive director up until her death on June 7. Her commitment to violence-free relationships made a lasting impact not only on the clients that the shelter assisted but alsoin the local community through New Directions’ many outreach efforts.
Mary Hendrickson was a groundbreaking leader in her efforts to end sexual and intimate partner violence. She gently but relentlessly pursued changes that supported survivors at individual and infrastructure levels.
Mr. Hellman officially begins in his role August 19. One of his priorities will be strengthening partnerships with county leaders and organizations, including in the criminal justice and nonprofit communities as well as with Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Other areas of focus will include increasing New Directions’ social media presence and promoting bystander intervention, which empowers and encourages all community members – women and men– to help prevent abuse.
New Directions works with the community to build safe, respectful and loving relationships. Its primary services are a shelter for battered women and their children, 24-hour crisis hotline, legal and medical advocacy and support for individuals and groups, education classes for clients and the community, and the DELTA project which works to prevent intimate partner and sexual violence before they occur. In addition to the funding New Directions receives from various state, county and local grants, fees and organizations, it also relies on private donations and fundraising efforts such as its annual dinner. The organization’s website is newdirectionsshelter.org. Emails can be sent to info@newdirectionsshelter.org and the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline is 740-397-4357.
