A lifelong resident of Memphis, TN and survivor of numerous devastating hardships, Greta D. Webber has dedicated her life to community service. She is the Executive Director of the Circle of Divine Destiny, Inc., a nonprofit organization that she founded in 2009 to provide free counseling, advocacy, and referral services to victims and survivors of physical, sexual, verbal, mental, and emotional abuse; intimate partner violence (IPV); and spousal abuse in the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area, TN-MS-AR (MSA), commonly known as the Mid-South, ranking among the highest rates of domestic violence in the U.S.
The agency’s Domestic Violence Program also includes crisis intervention; safety planning; transportation and medical services; rental/mortgage and utility assistance; and support/focus groups with a faith-based approach. As Mid-South residents increasingly seek professional guidance in the wake of severe psychological, emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual distress, the demand for its services has never been greater—which far exceeds its capacity.
While the Circle of Divine Destiny, Inc. offers services for adult women and men in the Mid-South, which consists of Shelby, Tipton, and Fayette Counties (Tennessee); DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, and Tunica Counties (Mississippi); and Crittenden County (Arkansas), it primarily targets women, who represent 70% of domestic violence victims in the region, and African Americans, who comprise over 52% of the population in Memphis and Shelby County.
The organization is currently preparing to launch its new Safety First initiative in an unprecedented effort to alleviate the devastating effects of domestic violence, which is often exacerbated by poverty, substance abuse, mental illness, poor living conditions, homelessness, low-paying jobs, unemployment, criminality, incarceration, lack of education, inadequate healthcare, and other major co-occurring psychosocial stressors and behavioral health issues.
As part of its new initiative, the Circle of Divine Destiny, Inc. will expand its Domestic Violence Program to include case management services; life-skills training; GED preparation classes; job readiness and placement assistance; and a safe house for women (and their children) to empower them to heal; reconnect with God, family, and friends; escape their abuser; end the vicious cycle of violence; secure decent, affordable housing; and achieve economic independence.
In addition to her work with the agency, Ms. Webber is a fulltime employee of Cocaine & Alcohol Awareness Program, Inc. (CAAP, Inc.), a nonprofit organization and leading provider of inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services for adults with a history of substance abuse and mental illness in the Memphis MSA. It offers a wide array of programs to help clients address their long-term needs and successfully transition back into mainstream society.
Ms. Webber joined CAAP, Inc. as the Domestic Violence Program Coordinator in 1998 and was promoted to Court Liaison in 2011. Previously, she served as an Intake Worker / Counselor at the Shelby County Community Services Agency (CSA) from 1982-1998 and a Financial Clerk & Scheduling Clerk at Easter Seals Memphis from 1981-1982.
She is a graduate of Southside High School and holds a Certificate of Applied Science Business Technology from State Technical Institute Memphis. Ms. Webber has also received several additional certifications, including the National Advocate Credential Program Advanced Advocate Credential by the National Organization for Victim Assistance.