At Dove Recovery House for Women, our board members play a crucial role in guiding our mission to empower women on their recovery journey. Their dedication, expertise, and passion help shape the programs and services that make a lasting impact in our community. Today, we’re highlighting Bethany Watson, one of our incredible new board members to share her perspective on why she chooses to support Dove House and what inspires her commitment to this vital work.
How did you learn about Dove Recovery House?
I was interested in getting involved with an organization as a board member, so I connected with Get On Board, an annual event for nonprofits seeking board and volunteer talent to share opportunities with individuals to become more engaged in the community. I’m very passionate about supporting human services and advocating for women, so when I saw that Dove Recovery House was looking for board members, I wanted to learn more. I connected with Wendy, who gave me a tour of the Indianapolis location. After learning about the extraordinary work done by this organization, I knew I wanted to provide my support of their mission.
What made you want to become a board member of Dove Recovery House?
I wanted to get more involved with an organization outside of my employment that aligned with my personal values and whose mission I felt very passionate about. Having worked in the nonprofit sector now for about 10 years, I’ve been on the other side of the table collaborating with and supporting board members. With that experience, I wanted to lend my professional skills to help Dove House wherever I could while also gaining practice serving on a nonprofit board.
What do you hope to achieve during your time as a board member?
I’m hoping to spread the mission of Dove House to as many people as possible and encourage others to give support. I’m also aiming to help educate people on the complex causes of substance use disorder and the importance of recovery programming like the services provided by Dove House. I’m hoping that my time and contributions will ultimately help Dove House serve more people, growing the number of women who are able to achieve recovery.
Outside of your work with Dove Recovery House, what are your passions or hobbies?
I live in Bates Hendricks, so I love to run around the neighborhood and visit Garfield Park for the weekend farmers market or for a game of tennis. Other hobbies include reading, experiencing the Indianapolis restaurant scene, listening to live music, and spending time with friends and family.
What do you believe is the greatest challenge faced by the individuals Dove Recovery House serves, and how can the organization continue to address it?
One of the greatest challenges is that women experiencing substance use disorder are likely also dealing with a history of trauma that led to addiction, making recovery particularly complicated. This requires not only physical but also mental healing as part of a holistic approach to help women overcome addiction and live a healthy life. There also continues to be significant stigma surrounding substance use disorder, particularly for women and mothers, with many people not understanding the circumstances that cause addiction. Dove Recovery House does a fantastic job of providing counseling services to help women understand and heal from traumatic events in their lives that led to addiction, while also providing services like employment-assistance to help get women back on their feet after completing their treatment. You can instantly tell when meeting with the staff at Dove House that their team cares so much about the women they serve and are passionate about the mission. I think we as a community can do a better job educating others on the complex causes of addiction and how incredibly difficult it can be to achieve recovery.
What motivates you to make a difference in your community?
When I was growing up, I was instilled with a strong sense of service. My parents and grandparents demonstrated firsthand the importance of making the world a better place through everyday acts of kindness, and the idea that we all have a responsibility to serve our neighbors. While I probably didn’t appreciate this enough as a kid, I now take my responsibility of serving my community very seriously and try to find opportunities to use my skills, time, and resources to help others. I love Indianapolis and am dedicated to making this a better place for everyone.
In her role as Vice President of Development at The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, Bethany stewards a portfolio of donors while leading fundraising, communications, and general support of the Library. Prior to joining the Library Foundation, she worked at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana for 7 years, most notably as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. At Gleaners, she oversaw fundraising efforts for high-level corporate/foundation partners and secured strategic gifts for food bank programs, operations, and capital infrastructure. Bethany holds a Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Interested in joining our board? Email our CEO, Wendy Noe today to learn more!
