For Tina and Deborah: Boyer family keeps up support of the YWCA following matriarch's passing
Jul. 6—Deborah Boyer and her family advocated for victims of domestic violence for nearly two decades.Whether it was hosting drives to collect cell phones or "Pennies From Heaven" outside of Lockport Walmart where Deborah worked, the issue was one that hit close to home.When Deborah died this past January, the Boyer family continued to forge ahead in their work to raise awareness and provide support to victims of domestic violence."After her passing this year, we wanted to keep her memory alive," her daughter Amy said.This year, the Boyer family raised more than $3,000 through a basket raffle at the Navy Marine Club and donated the money to the YWCA of the Niagara Frontier to support victims of domestic violence.Deborah started advocating and fundraising in the wake of her daughter Tina's death in 2004. Tina, 30, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in her Lockport home.Amy said the YWCA helped the Boyer family get through the tough times that followed her sister's death, and the family's
Jul. 6—Deborah Boyer and her family advocated for victims of domestic violence for nearly two decades.
Whether it was hosting drives to collect cell phones or "Pennies From Heaven" outside of Lockport Walmart where Deborah worked, the issue was one that hit close to home.
When Deborah died this past January, the Boyer family continued to forge ahead in their work to raise awareness and provide support to victims of domestic violence.
"After her passing this year, we wanted to keep her memory alive," her daughter Amy said.
This year, the Boyer family raised more than $3,000 through a basket raffle at the Navy Marine Club and donated the money to the YWCA of the Niagara Frontier to support victims of domestic violence.
Deborah started advocating and fundraising in the wake of her daughter Tina's death in 2004. Tina, 30, was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in her Lockport home.
Amy said the YWCA helped the Boyer family get through the tough times that followed her sister's death, and the family's early days of fundraising. They see their annual donation as a way to pay it forward.
"(The YWCA) stepped in to help us when we had no idea what we were doing," Amy said. "This is us every year paying them back for being there for us."
Mary Brennan-Taylor, YWCA vice president of programs, said that the work of the Boyer family has gone above and beyond to help victims of domestic violence in the community.
"It's been more than just the fundraising. It's the awareness and shining a spotlight on it that (the family) has done," she said.
In addition to the thousands of dollars raised, a room in the YWCA's domestic violence safe dwelling was dedicated in Tina Boyer's memory in 2017.
Family friend Jennifer Martin said that from this point forward, the work they do will honor both Tina and Deborah.
"We can continue this in (Deborah's) memory as well as Tina's, knowing what we're doing will help others and maybe save a couple of lives," she said.
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