February 16, 2024
Dear Treasured Abbie Shelter Community,
Greetings from the Abbie and from me, Hilary. It has been an honor to serve the Abbie Shelter and the resilient survivors of domestic and sexual violence in our community through my last 12 years as Executive Director. My predecessor, the mighty Janet Cahill, made it 24 years in this role. Wow! I have decided that 12 is right for me. I will be leaving the Abbie Shelter this spring, moving to my next chapter to care for myself and my family. It has been an incredibly special and meaningful adventure working alongside all of you, connecting the people who care so deeply about this mission with the people who need its care. The Abbie mission is powerful, from the heart, and deeply needed. This organization will continue to lovingly support the 1000+ people every year who utilize our services for the next 12, 24, 48 years, and beyond!
The Abbie Shelter is beautifully poised to begin its next chapter. We are well connected to a thriving network of partnering organizations here in the valley, and together we all expand our impact to those suffering the most in our community. Thanks to our generous supporters, the Abbie is in our strongest fiscal position in the history of the organization, and we are so grateful for the stability that your steady giving brings. Our staff are strong-hearted and competent experts in their craft, and our services will, of course, continue uninterrupted. An organization is as strong as the sum of her parts, and all of the pieces of the Abbie are shining brightly. Our Board of Directors is an extraordinary group. They have all the expertise and wisdom needed to take the lead of our executive transition as we recruit the next leader to take the helm at the Abbie. We look forward to introducing you to our next Executive Director this summer.
To every person who has crossed the path of the Abbie in the last 12 years, I have been honored to work alongside you, hear you, see you, and support you. Thank you for being a part of this critical and purposeful work. I look forward to joining all of you on the other side of the Abbie Shelter walls. As a community, we will keep our beloved Abbie Shelter strong and safe for the people who need it most. Cheers to the Abbie, and cheers to this amazing community that supports her! I am so grateful to be a part of it.
My last day is March 15, 2024. Until then and beyond, director@abbieshelter.org is the place to go to contact the organization for executive needs.
Warmly,
Hilary Shaw