As president and founder of Down to Defend, Alicia has put her heart and soul into ensuring that those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are provided with the proper resources to live a safer and more fulfilling life. Alicia is the mother to three children, one living with Down syndrome. When she received her son Levi’s diagnosis, she was empowered to change the gut-wrenching statistics that she unveiled during her research. She found that people living with intellectual disabilities are sexually assaulted at a rate seven times more than those without disabilities. As her motherly instincts kicked in, Alicia knew something needed to be done. Her ambition and drive are a force to be reckoned with, she will not stop until the statistics are changed. Down to Defend is a 501c3 nonprofit that currently works with others in the community to offer safety classes. A few classes currently offered are Karate/Self-defense, ISR (infant swim rescue), CPR, and healthy relationships. Down to Defend also works with their local hospitals (Helen Devos Children's hospital and Saint Mary’s Trinity Health) by delivering celebration baskets. A celebration basket is intended for parents of babies born with Down syndrome or other chromosome abnormalities while in the NICU. They are filled with safety items that have educational tags attached to them explaining how they can help baby. They also contain brochures and pamphlets with resources from around the community, and other fun and useful gifts.