News Release

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June 8, 2005

Boise State Women's Center Director Melissa Wintrow Wins Victim Assistance Award

Boise State Women’s Center director Melissa Wintrow has received the Award of Excellence from the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance (ICDVVA). The award, which is given to an individual or program demonstrating outstanding service in support of crime victims, honors Wintrow’s innovative and pioneering work through the Women’s Center. She was given the award June 7 during the ICDVVA’s annual Three Days in June Conference on Crime Victim Assistance in Boise.

During her five years at Boise State, Wintrow has helped to implement and write the Boise State University Sexual Assault Response Communication Protocol and initiated and helped write the university’s Sexual Assault Reporting and Resource Guide. She helped create a 24-hour sexual assault crisis hotline for students, faculty and staff. She recruits and trains all hotline volunteers and answers calls on the crisis line every weekday, two nights each week and two weekends each month.

As an advocate for domestic violence survivors, Wintrow works closely with community groups such as the Boise Women and Children’s Alliance. She currently is assisting in two cases of domestic violence, relocating the victims to safe housing, finding monetary and legal resources for them and supporting them through the court process.

The ICDVVA funds programs that serve victims of crime and helps victims through legislation, advocacy, training and public awareness. It also serves as the advisory body for programs affecting victims of crime.

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Contact: Diane Blumel, Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance, (208) 334-5580, dblumel@icdv.state.id

Media Contact: Anna Fritz, University Relations, (208) 426-1577, afritz@boisestate.edu

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Last reviewed on Thursday, December 22, 2005