Crisis Shelter Receives Community Awareness Project Funding for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
The Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County has just received notification of funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to promote community awareness of crime victimAdd News’ rights and services during 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
The week of April 22 – 28, 2012, is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW). This annual observance seeks to increase general public awareness of, and knowledge about, the wide range of rights and services available to people who have been victimized by crime. The theme for 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Extending the Vision: Reaching Every Victim.”
NCVRW Community Awareness Project funding supports community collaboration on victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and throughout the year. The Crisis Shelter was one of only 82 projects recommended by the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators and selected for funding by OVC for 2012 from the 146 applications submitted nationwide.
Recent studies show that too many crime victims and survivors do not avail themselves of the many services in our communities that can help them through very devastating experiences. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is our opportunity to support public awareness of crime victims’ rights.
According to Heather Darcangelo, Victim Advocate for the Crisis Shelter, “the Community Awareness Project will include several events including “Jammin for Justice” a fair where local agencies come together to provide and promote Crime Victims’ Rights. A “Jammin for Justice” music event will take place on Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at Cascade Park and will include Hide and Seek with a K-9, as well as a myriad of other entertainment. Community agencies will host activity booths to provide information on how each agency can assist victims of crime.”
“This support from NAVAA and OVC for our 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities will help us help crime victims,” Darcangelo said. “Members of our community are encouraged to help promote justice through service to crime victims by joining our 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities and supporting victim assistance programs throughout the year.”
For additional information about the 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities and a list of all events, or about victims’ rights and services in Lawrence County, call Heather Darcangelo at 724-856-4316 or visit our website www.crisisshelter.org.
For information about national efforts to promote 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, please visit the Office for Victims of Crime Web site at http://www.ovc.gov. For information about national efforts to promote 2012 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, please visit the Office for Victims of Crime Web site at http://www.ovc.gov.
The National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators is a non-profit organization that represents the 56 state agencies that distribute funds from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to more than 4,000 direct victim assistance service providers. All of the funds for VOCA programs come from criminal fines and other penalties paid by federal criminal offenders and not from taxpayer dollars.