"Adrienne was a waymaker, a visionary, a peacemaker, a warrior. She was fierce.  With her quiet demeanor and loud actions. She was amazing."

- Linda Freeman Walker, Board Member

We are deeply saddened to share with you the unexpected death of our friend Adrienne Gavula, on Saturday, September 2nd, 2017.  Adrienne was an active and vital fundraising volunteer with Women Have Options and from 2012-2016 fiercely served as a member of our board of directors and then as our board chair.  She was so full of life and love for justice. Adrienne dedicated her life to making the world a more just place and will be deeply missed.

Adrienne was a visionary, extraordinarily bright and creative (though she would never admit it), generous, and a joy to work with.  Her passion, dedication and incredible knowledge of philanthropy and nonprofit organizational development was immensely helpful to the WHO/O Board of Directors and she provided essential leadership in a transformational time for the organization. 

As an organization, Women Have Options wouldn't be in the place of growth and strength we are today without her bold leadership, dedication, and advocacy. More than that though, she was a dear friend. While we are having a difficult time coming up with the words to describe the deep hole in our hearts left by her passing, we wanted to make sure to share what she meant to us and our community. 

"It's difficult to describe Adrienne's contributions briefly. She was fiercely passionate and innovative. She was strategic and effective. She was a role model and a friend. Adrienne's generosity often surpassed the constraints of time and space, because she defined what was possible on her own terms and with her own dreams. She gave her whole heart and mind to the work, and to the eternal path of learning and growth. She created inspiration and structure with her own two hands and encouraged the rest of us to labor with intention. Her legacy is not just in the words and memories of those of us who loved her, but also in the text and hope that she planted into the law and the land. We will forever hold tight her teachings and leadership. We will forever miss her."

- Julia D'Agostino, Current WHO/O Board Chair