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When your heart is called to service, it’s a quick transition from attending fundraising events to joining the board. Few have made that transition as swiftly as Ashley Reichlin.
Several years ago, Ashley attended Bethany House events with her friend DeVona Smith, who was serving as Chair of the Board of Trustees at the time. Ashley was moved by the mission immediately and asked her friend how she could get more involved.
When a seat opened up on the board in January of 2020, Ashely was invited to interview and the rest is history.
After a year as a general board member, Ashley was elected as Vice Chair in 2021, and has been serving as Chair since 2022.
Read on to learn more about Ashley and what’s in store for her in 2024.
The mission of the Bethany House is focused on providing services with dignity and respect, which many survivors haven’t experienced much of. Knowing that our team upholds those core values makes me proud to serve on the board for the Bethany House.
My social work and mental health professional background, as well as my personal experiences, allow me to understand survivors’ situations and the obstacles they go through on a day-to-day basis. I’m able to advocate more effectively and ensure that survivors and their children’s needs are being met.
Awareness is key to prevention and reducing stigma, so I’m most excited to expand our educational outreach efforts. I’m also looking forward to working with Deidra and the Board of Trustees to complete needs assessments that will improve the quality of the services we provide on a macro, mezzo, and micro level.
The biggest challenge is often financial. There are resources to help survivors get back on their feet, but it is sometimes difficult to access those resources. There are many hurdles to jump through and it does take time.
Sponsored Ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio
Member of the Sylvania Franciscan Ministries