Victims of violent crimes, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, may face severe delays or even lose access to existing victim support services in their community due to massive cuts in federal funding. State leaders must act now on a permanent funding stabilization plan for victim services.
Community organizations assisting survivors are sounding the alarm and urging everyone to raise their voices on December 7. Together, we will demand that state lawmakers prioritize survivors and their families in the upcoming budget and session.
As we prepare to rally on December 7, here are three actions you can take right now to support survivors:
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Services for survivors in my community helped me navigate the complex legal system and helped me find a path to recovery. I can’t imagine what my family and I would have done if these services weren’t available when I needed them.
– Anonymous
Victim services helped me find a new outlook on life, taught me the skills to deal with the effects of trauma, and put the power of healing, both mind and body, into my own hands. The value of these services are beyond compare.
– Lorna
There are a number of stages that victims of violence go through in processing and recovering from violence, sexual assault, abandonment, etc. “Recovery” can take significant time, both emotionally and physically.. Flashbacks can go on for decades. Services for victims are critical!!
– Cynthia
Victims have a right to be safe.
That means prioritizing them before the crime is committed (prevention) and it means making sure they have the support and services needed for healing.
– Carissa
No one should have to experience the pain and impacts of crime, abuse and violence. But the reality is that people do. For me, crime victim services are important because they ensure that people who are harmed are not alone. They are able to have the support they need and deserve to heal.
– Sherrie
Domestic violence advocacy programs offer more than shelter, counseling, legal help, etc….they offer hope. They offer a way out. Are we willing to face the consequences of a world where the very few options victims-and their children-have are limited even further?
– Anonymous
