Sacramento FBI Announces 2011 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award Recipient: WEAVE, Inc.

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The Sacramento Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is pleased to announce that WEAVE, Inc. is the recipient of the 2011 Director’s Community Leadership Award.  The annual award recognizes the achievement of an individual or organization for commitment to violence education and prevention.

“It is an honor to be able to present WEAVE, Inc. with the Director’s Community Leadership Award for commitment to crisis intervention and prevention in our region,” said Herb Brown, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Sacramento FBI field office. “Beth Hassett and her team’s outstanding efforts have continually increased the community’s understanding of domestic violence and sexual assault and have ensured that victims have resources available to begin the healing process.”

Since opening as a grassroots organization in 1978, WEAVE has become a large, nationally recognized agency that provides crisis intervention and prevention services to women, men and children who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking in the Sacramento region. Focused on eliminating the cycle of violence and abuse, WEAVE dedicates significant resources to prevention and education programs in addition to essential victims services.  In 2011, WEAVE realized the following successes:

■197 women and 168 children found refuge at the safe house for an average of 27 days each

■15,865 callers received help from the 24-hour support line
■1,006 women and men received counseling
■57 children received therapy to break the cycle of violence
■1,404 victims received legal services
■212 rape victims were accompanied at the hospital during evidence collection.

“I am honored that WEAVE has been chosen as the Sacramento area recipient of the Director’s Community Leadership Award.  WEAVE believes that all women, men, and children deserve to feel safe in their homes and community,” said Beth Hassett, executive director of WEAVE. “In these difficult times we have to be more innovative, more enthusiastic and more committed to making sure that the most vulnerable among us are taken care of.  The award represents our continued efforts to create a cohesive response to victims and accountability for perpetrators.”

For more than two decades, Beth Hassett, executive director of WEAVE, has been a volunteer and staff member for non-profit organizations focused on improving the quality of life in the Sacramento region and beyond. As the executive director of WEAVE, Hassett leads a team of advocates, counselors, educators, and volunteers who share the common goal of bringing an end to domestic violence and sexual assault in the community.

In addition to her position with WEAVE, Hassett currently serves as a commissioner on the First Five Sacramento Commission, president of the Planned Giving Forum of Sacramento, treasurer of the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA), vice president of the Midtown Business Association, secretary of the Sacramento Children’s Coalition, and is a member of both the ALS Association National Board of Representatives and the board of the ALS Association of Greater Sacramento. She was appointed to the statewide Domestic Violence Advisory Council by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2010 and graduated from the Sacramento FBI Citizens Academy in 2011.

Hassett will accept the 2011 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award on behalf of WEAVE, Inc. from SAC Brown during a small ceremony held at the Sacramento field office at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Hassett will also travel to FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C. to receive the official engraved crystal award from FBI Director Robert Mueller on March 16, 2012, at a public ceremony.

About WEAVE

Established in 1978, WEAVE provides crisis intervention and prevention services to women, men, and children in Sacramento County who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking. Key programs include a safehouse for women and children, a sexual assault response team, a 24-hour support and information line, counseling, legal services, and prevention education for youth and adults.

Media Contact:

Gina Swankie, (916) 214-8309