Women Aware recently announced the appointment of Diane Johnson to its Board of Trustees.

After 30 years of service, Ms. Johnson retired from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Victim/Witness Unit, in December 2022. In her role as Victim Witness Coordinator, she managed the support and assistance provided to survivors of crime. She collaborated with local partner agencies, including Women Aware, to ensure comprehensive services were offered to all survivors. Additionally, Ms. Johnson served as a committee member for the Women Aware Moving Beyond Abuse 5K & Charity Walk over the past two years.

“Diane brings decades of experience serving victim-survivors to Women Aware’s Board,” said Board President Diane Palmer. “She is truly a like-minded partner when it comes to providing crisis intervention and long-term supportive services to victim-survivors and their families. We welcome Diane’s enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to moving survivors beyond abuse in Middlesex County.”

Ms. Johnson earned her B.A. from Rutgers University, Douglass College, and an M.A. from Montclair State University. She began her career in social services at Catholic Charities, Partial Care Program, where she worked with at-risk youth and their families.

In her spare time, Ms. Johnson enjoys spending time outdoors, visiting with family and friends, and substituting at Saint Matthias School in Somerset.

“Serving on the Board is important to me. As an advocate for crime victims, I have seen firsthand the abundant services Women Aware provides to survivors and families affected by DV,” said Diane. “Fostering a culture of safety and hope for survivors corresponds to my belief of ‘where there is a will, there is a way.’ I join others on the Board in the ongoing advocacy to promote access to services and support best practices for all DV survivors.”

A dedicated volunteer with Women Aware for over 12 years, Carol parlayed experience as a volunteer peer group leader with Women Helping Women in Metuchen into service as a Domestic Violence Response Team volunteer for Women Aware. With compassion and common sense, Carol conveys to victim-survivors that she is someone who cares about their safety and is willing to listen without judgement. For Carol, safety planning with every survivor is key. Safety planning helps prepare the survivor if the abuser is no longer in the home, but also allows the survivor to be prepared if they return home to the abuser and need to escape in the future.

The best part of Carol’s volunteer service are the people. She feels Women Aware staff support her in every way, from debriefing after a tough encounter to laughing and hugging when they connect at an agency event. Carol speaks highly of the South Brunswick Police Department (SBPD) because they treat victims with compassion and are knowledgeable about the process a victim has to go through; she feels supported and appreciated when she is called out to SBPD headquarters. That being said, the victim-survivors are whom Carol remembers most. “Every time I go to headquarters, it is because a victim has taken a step toward saving their own life.”

Carol will always remember one client. The victim was brought to police headquarters when police responded to a call. The victim believed it was her neighbors who called police during a particularly loud and abusive episode with her husband. She wanted to shield her son from knowing she was at the police station, yet Carol pleaded with the victim to let the police pick him up for his own safety. She declined, but then found out it was actually her son who had called the police. The victim agreed the police could go to her home to check on her son. While Carol and the victim waited for the police to return with her son, he walked into the police station, accompanied by his father. As the husband tried to convince police he was the victim, Carol reassured her the abuser would not be able to trick the police. “The irony of that day stays with me.”

Carol is proud to be a New Jersey realtor, who enjoys working with first-time home buyers and helping them achieve the American Dream. She also enjoys working with sellers who are transitioning to a larger home or downsizing. Carol loves “old school” R&B music and is a big fan of comedy.

Pat’s tenure as a Women Aware Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) volunteer began 17 years ago. When Pat saw a notice on her community tv channel asking for volunteers to work with domestic violence victims, she stepped up. With a background in counseling, Pat saw it as an opportunity to do something to help her community. “People deserve to live a life without fear,” said Pat. “Men and women deserve to be treated with respect.”

As a member of Women Aware’s DVRT, Pat is a trained volunteer who is on call to meet victims of domestic violence with compassion and empathy at their local police station following an incident of abuse. Called out by police, DVRT volunteers provide crisis intervention services that include emotional support, safety planning, and information on domestic violence and community resources. In her meeting with a victim, Pat chooses her words carefully. “I use the term ‘survivor’ with them rather than victim. When someone is a survivor, they are in a position of power, not powerless…Many of these brave individuals come to the police without someone with them. Some bring their children which adds another layer of fear and concern.” Pat affirms the survivor’s decision to not put up with the abuse and talks with them about not blaming themselves.

The best part of Pat’s volunteer service is watching a survivor take the first step to reclaim their lives. One interaction that stayed with Pat happened years ago. At the police station, Pat said to the individual, “It’s not your fault.” The survivor began to cry as no one had ever told her that before.

In addition to volunteering with Women Aware, Pat is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She enjoys genealogy, attending plays, travel, collecting recipes from different historic time periods, and volunteering for events at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania.