HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nanci Kreidman has spent 40-years supporting and advocating for women in abusive relationships.
She co-founded what is now called the Domestic Violence Action Center — or DVAC — and retired as its CEO last year.
So, it’s no surprise that Kreidman chose to donate her award as ‘Hawaii’s Most Remarkable Woman’ — to the non-profit that is closest to her heart.
“To be loved by my community means everything. To be recognized in this way was beyond my wildest dreams,” Nanci Kreidman co-founder and former of CEO DVAC. “I was astonished. I recognize that our service to the community is meaningful.”
Kreidman began her career at a community action center helping to design safe places for women and children in her hometown of New Jersey.
She moved to Hawaii in the 1970s and discovered only one shelter on Oahu and none on the neighbor islands.
“And it simply wasn’t enough,” she added. “Today, we have shelters on every island in Hawaii and multiple shelters on Oahu. We now have a robust system, training for police officers and courts, teachers and counselors and social workers and clergy, healthcare professionals. We have responsive programs embedded in communities, we have shelters, we have legal services, all of which families need.”
Kreidman was among more than a hundred other remarkable women selected from across the country — to gather in Los Angeles this month, where they were honored for their many contributions.
“What a beautiful story that is, that women are sprinkled throughout the country, serving communities in different ways.”
And though Kreidman has never been in an abusive relationship, “I just knew this was my mission and I’m happy to have been of service to the community.”