submitted photo Benjamin congratulates the middle school winner of a Safe Dates poster contest.
Devoted advocate She began working for the district attorney in Stevens Point, Wis., in 1995 and served as a guardian for children in divorce, abuse and neglect cases. A year later she started training law enforcement officers on issues surrounding domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Benjamin and her husband, Scott, came to Indiana when he switched jobs. The couple had lived in Greenwood and Benjamin had worked as a Johnson County prosecutor, until Scott opened his business, Benjamin Podiatry, in Columbus about two years ago. “I helped him put the business together, and I still serve as the office manager there a couple days a week,” she said. She is also the chairwoman of the Bartholomew County Domestic Violence Action Team. She works to bring together all the agencies and groups that help victims of domestic violence. She also helps coordinate community outreach programs, such as the Safe Dates
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curriculum for eighth-grade students that the team started last year. “We work to give victims (of domestic violence) the information and services they need, but prevention is so important,” she said. “With Safe Dates, we teach kids what’s normal in a relationship and help them understand. We try to give them the education and tools so that wrong behavior that may be starting at that age doesn’t continue.” Benjamin’s involvement with domestic violence cases on both the legal and community outreach sides has provided her with a seemingly omniscient view of the issue. “Kelly has amazing energy, commitment and courage to rid our community of domestic violence,” said Beth Morris, director of Healthy Communities. “She is just as passionate about helping teens learn healthy relationship skills so they can avoid violent relationships as she is about holding batterers accountable for their actions.”
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