Marcee Metzger’s passion for helping victims of sexual and domestic abuse hasn’t waned one bit over the past five decades. In 1976, as an enthusiastic University of Nebraska-Lincoln student, she answered her first call on a rape crisis line started by the Lincoln Coalition Against Rape.
One day in 1977, Metzger received a call from a woman that would spur her on to seek out solutions that didn’t exist at the time. The woman told Metzger that her husband had come to her workplace and raped her, and she was terrified he would kill her. Metzger met with the woman and started contacting law enforcement and community resources like the Victim’s Witness Unit at the Lincoln Police Department to come up with a plan to keep her safe.
At the time, the county could only offer an overnight jail stay or a bed at a family shelter on the outskirts of Lincoln. Over the next few days, Metzger had conversations with former Police Chief Tom Cassidy, a detective working what would become a homicide case when the woman’s husband went on a three-day, three-state rampage.
“I’m there as an advocate, asking what can we do? How can we do something different?†Metzger recalled. “We don’t have anything,†said the police chief.
But changes were coming at the national level. In 1978, Metzger got a call from the Governor’s office asking her to testify at the National Civil Rights Consultation on Spouse Abuse before Congress. That same year, Congress passed domestic violence legislation that made money available for services and shelters.
As a graduate student, Metzger became the coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center on campus. The Center offered counseling, sexual harrassment support, child care and women’s health resources. Metzger was one of the organizers of the Take Back the Night march, designed to raise awareness that women were more likely to be raped by someone they knew than a stranger.
Growing up in a loving family with two parents who never fought in front of her, sexual and domestic abuse were hard to fathom for Metzger. “I couldn’t even imagine the inhumanity of one person to another. It was so surprising to me,†she said.
In 1989, Metzger became executive director of the Rape/Spouse Abuse Crisis Center, which changed its name to Voices of Hope in 2007. Over her 33 years as executive director, Metzger has met with thousands of women at hospitals and Voices of Hope, which provides confidential crisis intervention services.
Last year, Voices of Hope’s 30 staff members helped more than 2,300 women and 300 men struggling to get out from under the oppression of abuse. A 24/7 crisis hotline allows victims to call in and get needed support. Advocates are also available to meet with victims face-to-face to walk them through next steps.
Metzger’s mission for nearly 50 years has been to speak on behalf of the abused and be a champion for education, collaboration and solutions.
“How can we have this level of trauma and violence against women and children without doing something about it?†she asked. “I’ve never been able to stop, because this problem hasn’t gone away.†To her, the key question is “Are we going to keep the victim at the center and hold the abuser accountable?â€
Metzger noted there has been progress during her tenure. In 1994, the U.S. Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, which provided $1.6 billion toward investigating and prosecuting violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution, and allowed victims to bring a civil suit when their cases were not prosecuted. The act also funded a Lincoln police officer, prosecuting attorney, advocate for Voices of Hope, and resulted in forming the Family Violence Council in 1996.
That same year, Metzger and Voices of Hope helped form community response teams (one for domestic violence, one for sexual assault and one to assess threats). A Voices of Hope representative attends each of the monthly team meetings, which encourage collaboration between law enforcement, health care providers and other key groups involved with sexual assault and domestic abuse cases. Teams focus on the latest statistics, what is working, what laws are needed to further protect victims and how to boost public awareness, Metzger explained. The goal is to identify gaps and adapt community response systems to enhance victim safety and hold perpetrators accountable.
Bob Moyer, executive director of the Family Violence Council since 1996, has worked with Metzger on these coordinated response teams and a couple dozen grants over the years. He called Metzger an exceptional community leader who’s made a tremendous difference.
“Her vision and understanding of the need and the changes that are needed, and how to do that so it’s empowering, is amazing,†Moyer shared. “I think it’s motivated staff and community members.â€
Moyer added that Metzger’s vision goes beyond improving Voices of Hope’s response to how to help the community serve abuse victims and end abuse.
“She has a way of uniting people around goals and finding common ground,†added Sexual Assault Services Coordinator/Advocate Marla Sohl.
Yet at the core, Metzger never loses her focus. “She is always coming back down to ‘How do the decisions we make affect our clients?’†Sohl shared.
Both Sohl and current Voices of Hope Board Chair Michelle Sitorius noted that Metzger continues to take crisis line shifts to stay in touch with client needs. And at board meetings, Sitorius said, “She (Metzger) comes with all of these ideas, and she’s already talked to the partners and found solutions. It’s apparent all the work she’s done to make sure those relationships are stable.â€
Metzger has done a good job reaching out into the community to network with all populations, Sitorius continued. Voices of Hope partners with close to 200 community agencies and organizations. Agreements range from sharing grants to sharing responsibilities for offering services. One example is how Voices of Hope provides case managers at El Centro de las Americas, Asian Community & Cultural Center and the Malone Center.
As Metzger prepares to retire at the end of this year, she is reflecting on how the community needs to hear not only her voice, but the voices of some of those who Voices of Hope collaborates with to fulfill its mission. “We thought it was important to start a dialogue with the community,†Metzger said.
The series of 18 videos titled “Who’s the Voice? What’s the Hope?” is designed to give people a better view of the breadth and depth of Voices of Hope’s strategic partnerships in both the public and private sectors, said board member and marketing committee member Linda Major. The video campaign can be accessed at .
As Metzger departs, she takes with her nuggets of wisdom that she’s recorded in journals over the past 47 years. She hopes to put them into a tangible work to share with others in the field. Metzger is also crafting a mystery that features characters who are domestic violence victims that portrays their resilience.
Metzger’s own resilience has been witnessed by many, including Major, a friend who goes way back to their high school days at Lincoln Southeast. “I truly have seen her live her commitment to this cause, both personally and professionally,†said Major.
Voices of Hope’s A Legacy of Hope luncheon will celebrate the 47-year history and future of the nonprofit, which has the mission to provide responsive, empowering services and support to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and related forms of abuse.
The luncheon will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Lincoln Cornhusker Marriott, 333 S. 13th St. It will also honor outgoing executive director Marcee Metzger and highlight the “Who’s the Voice? What’s the Hope?†video campaign.
For tickets, visit www.voicesofhopelincoln.org or call 402-476-2110.
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In 1989, Marcee Metzger became executive director of the Rape/Spouse Abuse Crisis Center, which changed its name to Voices of Hope in 2007. Over her 33 years as executive director, Metzger has met with thousands of women at hospitals and Voices of Hope, which provides confidential crisis intervention services.
Metzger was one of the organizers of the Take Back the Night march, designed to raise awareness that women were more likely to be raped by someone they knew than a stranger.
LINCOLN, NEB. - 08/26/2022 - Marcee Metzger of Voices of Hope poses for a portrait at the group's office, Friday, Aug. 26, 2022. NOAH RIFFE, Journal Star