Teri Jendusa-Nicolai, who survived a near-fatal beating and abduction after being tied up and locked in an unheated storage facility last winter, has received the Joyce Fitzgerald Memorial Award from A Safe Place/ Lake County Crisis Center, as part of the agency’s annual meeting October 18.

 The Joyce Fitzgerald Memorial Award is given to a women who has shown great commitment and participation in efforts to raise awareness and eliminate domestic violence in the community.  Since her rescue and progress toward recovery from her ordeal, Jendusa-Nicolai has been speaking out, locally and nationally, on behalf of victims of domestic violence.  Her appearances have aided the understanding of communities about the issue and about how essential it is for collaboration to exist to provide services and support to battered women.