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Our Stories

Women Helping Women’s Journey to Joy

News broadcast graphic honoring Alyssa Hill, a local mother killed in Norwood, highlighting domestic violence resources available through Women Helping Women.

June 4, 2026, WLWT

NORWOOD, Ohio — A young mother of two was stabbed to death by an ex-boyfriend while working at a Norwood Skyline Chili, investigators said.

Community members are mourning the loss of Alyssa Hill; she was a server at Skyline, a devoted mom and friend who was beloved by many.

Police say Rick Wright showed up at the restaurant at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, attacking her in broad daylight.

Friends are still in shock. They say Hill and Wright only dated briefly and broke up long before the deadly stabbing.

Advocates with Women Helping Women say, sadly, this kind of violence can happen after one date, a month of dating, even well after a relationship is over.

Amber Malott is the vice president of programming for the organization, sharing the resources available to anyone dealing with abuse, violence or someone making them feel unsafe.

Women Helping Women has a 24-hour hotline with advocates ready to help.

It’s not clear exactly what led up to the stabbing that claimed Hill’s life.

Advocates say interpersonal violence of any kind can happen without warning.

“We know that violence can happen anywhere,” Malott said. “Statistically speaking, it’s those that you have a relationship with, or at least some kind of acquaintance, that is the perpetrator of abuse.”

Prosecutors say Wright had prior convictions and most recently violated parole on an assault charge from last year.

He’s now charged with murder.

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A group of community leaders and advocates gather together to cut a celebratory ribbon, marking the opening ceremony of the new Women Helping Women 24/7 hotline hub.

April 23, 2026, FOX19NOW 

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – A ceremony was held Thursday to welcome a new 24/7 hotline hub for domestic violence survivors in the Tri-state.

The Women Helping Women hotline went from one small room 52 years ago to an entire call center dedicated to supporting domestic violence survivors.

Unfortunately, the need for the space is in part because of the increase in domestic violence and sexual assault, both in the state and beyond.

“It was just a small office, and we recruited as many people as we could to be volunteers,” Jill Bley, founding member, said.

“We were all students at UC, and we had a women’s center, and we kept getting calls from women about rape and things and we didn’t know what to do. So we got together and started talking about what we could do.”

What started off as an idea to help others in any way quickly grew into a life-saving organization.

On Thursday, a new space dedicated to increasing infrastructure for survivors’ safety was revealed.

“Because we quantifiably know, unfortunately, that violence has increased in the nation, in the state and in the region, we had to increase our ability to respond,” Kristin Shrimplin, president and CEO, said.

In 2025, Women Helping Women answered more than 20,000 domestic violence calls, the largest call volume in the state for survivors and a 6% increase from 2024. The organization’s projected call volume will hit a record in 2026.

The space allows for more calls to be taken, but it’s also a way to bring the previously remote hotline team together so that they can have support for the secondhand trauma that comes from answering those calls.

“Up to 55% of survivors are experiencing strangulation, so when we answer that call, it’s hugely critical not only to bring more of a dedicated space, but to support the staff that are answering that call,” Shrimplin said.

We know domestic violence impacts half of all women and one in every four men, and those odds keep increasing year after year.

The hotline is open 24/7, 365 days a year at 513-381-5610.

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April 23, 2026, Fox19

The video highlights a ceremony celebrating the unveiling of a brand-new, expanded 24/7 hotline and response space for Women Helping Women. The organization, which began 52 years ago as a small volunteer effort by students at the University of Cincinnati, has grown into a major life-saving operation.

The expansion was prompted by a continuous rise in domestic violence and sexual assault cases both nationally and locally in Ohio. In 2025, Women Helping Women answered over 20,000 calls—the largest call volume for survivors in the state—and they project a record-breaking volume for 2026. Beyond allowing the organization to process more calls, the dedicated hub brings the previously remote hotline team together under one roof, providing critical peer support to staff managing secondhand trauma from high-stakes emergency situations (such as calls involving strangulation, which impacts up to 55% of survivors).

Representatives & Speakers

Kristen Shrimplin – President and CEO of Women Helping Women, who speaks on the necessity of increasing their infrastructure to respond to the quantifiable rise in regional and national violence.

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June 13, 2023, WHW

The video features a reflective and heartfelt conversation celebrating the 50th anniversary of Women Helping Women, looking back at how a grassroots volunteer effort transformed into a major life-saving organization.

  • The Founding Mission: One of the original founders explains that the organization started with a group of women meeting at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Women’s Center. After constantly receiving calls regarding sexual assault, divorce, and domestic battery, they envisioned creating a dedicated counseling center to assist these women.

  • Early Milestones & Collaboration: In its early days, the group successfully advocated for General Hospital (now University Hospital) to begin conducting rape exams. They also gained critical cooperation from the local police department.

  • The Original Hotline: The hotline began in a single office room furnished with just a bed, a telephone, and a chair to ensure around-the-clock, 24/7 coverage by volunteers.

  • Evolution of Impact: The organization has drastically scaled its legacy over 50 years:

    • Expanded services from two counties to four counties.

    • Grew prevention programs to saturate nearly 60 schools.

    • Handled approximately 15,000 hotline calls and 30,000 crisis responses in the previous year alone.

    • Expanded their staff from 17 to 90 members.

    • Established the national model DVERT (Domestic Violence Enhancement Response Team) to focus specialized resources on marginalized survivors

Representative Mentioned

Current Executive Leadership: Kristen Shrimplin President/CEO) interviews the founder, offering profound gratitude for her 50-year living legacy.

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