Vanessa Behan has been a safety net for thousands of families for 36 years. In this joint presentation, Lacey Renner, the Development Director for Vanessa Behan, and Amy Vega, the Executive Director, will talk about child development, generational cycles, and how Vanessa Behan helps break these unhealthy cycles by providing immediate refuge for children and ongoing family support.

Amy Vega, MSW: Amy Vega has been the Executive Director of Vanessa Behan since 2006. She started caring for children at Vanessa Behan over 25 years ago, working the graveyard shift. After a life-changing experience working with a family, she returned to school to obtain a Master’s degree from Walla Walla University with a desire to work more closely with parents. For ten years, she worked side by side with parents, and helped develop programs that met their individual needs. As Executive Director, she shares their stories, and the impact Vanessa Behan has on our children, their parents, and our community.

Lacey Renner: Lacey Renner has been the development director of Vanessa Behan since 2021 when she left a job in banking for non-profit development at Vanessa Behan. She was a new mother when first introduced to Vanessa Behan and its mission. She could imagine herself being in a position of vulnerability, and after taking a tour of the organization, joined the Funding Development committee. She says that “being a part of this organization has helped me to learn (and unlearn) deeply important truths and I continue to be a more compassionate human in part because of Vanessa Behan. Feeling safe and loved is a basic human right for all children, and Vanessa Behan provides it.”