KITSAP — For years, the YWCA of Kitsap County has been there for victims of domestic violence.

But Executive Director Denise Frey knows more needs to be done. That’s why she’s taking on a stronger role for the YWCA in domestic violence prevention.

And she’s not afraid to go where she needs to go. Even if it’s criticism of the Seattle Seahawks.

“I’m just very disappointed,” said Frey. “My disappointment comes from that fact that they didn’t just come out and address it from the beginning.”

Frey referred to the Seahawks first-round draft pick Frank Clark, who has been a controversial pick for the Seahawks due to an incident in a Sandusky, Ohio hotel room where witnesses said he hit his girlfriend.

He was charged with domestic violence and assault following the incident with his girlfriend at the time, Diamond Hurt. The charges were reduced and Clark plead guilty to disorderly conduct and paid a $250 fine.

Frey said she thinks the Seahawks should have just said they knew of his past and were drafting him anyway.

“Personally, I’m a sports fan,” Frey said. “And I know of Pete Carroll’s reputation. I’m from California and I know that he invests (time and energy) in troubled youth. He goes into areas of LA no one would go into to help those kids. I embrace that and I understand that.”

But, she said, she thinks the Seahawks should have been more upfront that it was an incident of domestic violence. Frey said, as a domestic violence expert herself, with more than 30 years of counseling victims, she’s been able to look at the police reports on the Clark incident and thinks it was certainly a situation of domestic violence.

“There was a high level of evidence for domestic violence – enough to prosecute the case,” she said. “But it was pled down to a non-domestic violence charge to save his (Clark’s) NFL career.

“Do I wish the best for this man? Yes. Do I wish the best for the Seahawks? Yes. Just comes out and say it was domestic violence and make this an opportunity to bring light to the subject. Have a plan to deal with it. Don’t just shut the door on it.”

Kelly Starr, director of communications for the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said the organization has reached out to the Seattle Seahawks management offering educational programs and services to players, players’ partners, and other Seahawks employees. They currently work with the Seattle Mariners in an educational and prevention role.

“The NFL has mandated its own training,” Starr said. “But the NFL has also said that teams can partner with local organizations for more services and to take a stand against domestic violence.”

There are 73 domestic violence programs that belong to the state coalition, including the Kitsap YWCA.

Frey said the YWCA of Kitsap has always lead the local community in the discussions about domestic violence. For years, the YWCA has had programs to help victims by providing safe shelter and legal resources to see that aggressors are sent to jail. In recent years, however, the work that the YWCA has done on prevention programs has been less due to a lack of resources. Frey is working to get more funding to bring those programs back into focus.

“My job is to see that this community understands domestic violence and that’s what I’m going to do,” she said.

Historically, she said, the role of the YWCA has been to respond to social injustice and to empower women.

“We were there during the suffragette movement,” she said. “And the YWCA was there marching against lynchings. Kitsap County can look forward to the YWCA being a strong voice for the empowerment of women and the elimination of racism.”

On her list is adding programs to address children who witness domestic violence.

“We need to help them understand that it is not OK to be violent and that there are alternatives to hitting,” she said. “That’s a big step in eliminating domestic violence in the next generation.”

Additionally, she said, the YWCA is building a strong relationship with the Kitsap Immigration Center and plans to work for immigration reform.

Frey said she’s been working with the YWCA board and staff to reorganize some things. To save money, some staff positions have been eliminated and those jobs are now being done by volunteers.

She plans to move the YWCA’s Walk in Her Shoes event from the fall to summer. This year the fundraiser will be July 11 at Evergreen Park and will include more teams of men walking in high heels to signify their support for an end to domestic violence.It will be bigger and better and will bring in more money, she hopes.

She also plans to move the YWCA’s annual Women of Achievement held each spring to an after work hours event on a Friday when more people can attend and stay longer to congratulate the nominees. It has been held at noon during a weekday.

Frey said she got some criticism for bring up a recent possible domestic violence case at this year’s Women of Achievement luncheon. The victim she spoke about, Heather Kelso, was shot and killed in her home in East Bremerton in March. Frey read from an application Kelso filled out for a protection order two weeks before her death.

“We certainly knew from that what she went through,” Frey said. “We don’t know yet, who was responsible for her death. But we know she feared for her life.”

Kitsap County Sheriff’s office is investigation her death and spokesman Scott Wilson said it is still an active investigation.

Frey wonders why the public is so quick to defend the accused.

“Are they afraid to face the pain that the victim has,” she asked. “I’m not sure why this is, but I feel it is my job to bring it up.”

After telling Kelso’s story at the luncheon, Frey did something that hadn’t been done at the Women of Achievement before. She asked people to commit to give money by having an impromptu out loud auction. She raised $65,000 that day, three times what had been given quietly in envelopes at the table at previous Women of Achievement events.

Frey said the role of the YWCA of Kitsap is not simply to provide services for victims of domestic violence.

“What makes us different is that we advocate for change,” she said. “This is what sets us apart.”