Washoe County native, Deborah Bufkin Armstrong, graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a degree in psychology. She first began in social work, gravitating to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, where she found her passion, and which she considers her greatest achievement in working with women and children in abuse situations. She founded a non-profit program called “Safe Embrace” focused on helping women with children, and women of color. Initially, this was the only organization in the state that went to the jail and provided educational self-esteem courses related to domestic violence, for the women incarcerated there. Although she has gone on to other career paths, this program is still in existence and provides an invaluable component of Washoe County’s domestic violence programs. Deborah still works with the disadvantaged population and has published a self-help book, When the Kisses Stopped: A Tale of Lessons Learned.
Deborah Bufkin Armstrong was interviewed by the Nevada Women’s History Project on March 25, 2022, through a grant from the Terry Lee Wells Foundation.