Barbara Woodmansee Domestic Violence Education Fund

Lee Woodmansee established this fund in honor of his wife, Barbara, upon her retirement as community education director of Access-York/Victim Assistance Center of YWCA York. Barbara has been a passionate advocate for the prevention of domestic and sexual violence ever since she was a telephone hotline volunteer in Wilkes-Barre, PA. When she moved to York in 1981, she began her career with Access-York as a part-time volunteer. By 1986, she was the organization’s full-time community education director. Through her leadership of Access-York, now called Access-York/Victim Assistance Center of YWCA York, Barbara has made it a point to open the doors to conversation around the topic of domestic and sexual violence. Education is key to prevention, she says, and Access-York has worked hard over the years to provide programs designed to teach students about domestic violence and healthy relationships. Woodmansee told the York Dispatch (Feb. 2013) that she is proud of Access-York’s role in helping make health-related changes to assist local residents in abusive relationships. “When a doctor asks ‘Are you safe at home,’ it’s our organization that has done this,” Barbara told the Dispatch. “We worked with the health community to increase awareness and opportunities for people to get help.” This Fund will support this important work forever.