On January 11th, 2001, Sheryl Crane Loder was murdered by her estranged husband in Wales Massachusetts. All of a sudden, the little town of Wales was shaken to its core. This tragedy affected everyone, including those in neighboring communities.
First and foremost, Sheryl was a mother. She always spoke of her daughter with pride, referring to any new interests and milestones. As an employee of the Monson Development Center, Sheryl embodied kindness while helping her clients reach their full potential. She showed them how to live their lives with purpose. At Hitchcock Academy, Sheryl’s work included promoting the programs offered while she was on the frontline serving her community.
Whether it was caring for her daughter, her ailing mother, or her clients & the community, Sheryl always gave of herself with kindness and love.As a way to honor her memory, and to make sure this never happens again, friends of Sheryl banded together to form the Tri-Town Domestic Violence Task Force
The Task Force proudly served the citizens of Brimfield, Holland, and Wales Massachusetts over the years and worked not only to support abuse survivors but to raise awareness in our communities on how to break the cycle of domestic violence. What started as a brutal crime became a legacy of hope that we can all live in a world without domestic violence.
On November 3rd, 2017, at a meeting of the members, the Task Force was designated as the charter member of Stop Abuse Today, Inc. At its inception, the original Trustees formed an Executive Governance Committee of Officers to oversee the organization. Building upon the foundation that the Task Force provided us, we became self-sufficient in all areas of the operation, in part by establishing a regulations document that includes articles of organization, bylaws, and formal meeting rules.
On January 4th, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service officially classified Stop Abuse Today, Inc as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit.
Original Trustees & Original Executive Committee Members (Stop Abuse Today, Inc):
- Bryan Haughey
- Margo Chevers
- Janet Zafiris
- Susan Gregory