The coalition of local Victim Assistance agencies (Albion Fellows Bacon Center, Holly’s House, YWCA, Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office, Lampion Center) received 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 victims’ rights and services during the 2015 National Crime Victim’s Rights week.
This week (April 19-25, 2015), is National Crime Victim’s Rights Week (NCVRW). This annual observance, first designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, 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 the 2015 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Engaging Communities. Empowering Victims.â€
This year, the Vanderburgh County NCVRW Coalition has opted to gear the fight towards human trafficking in our community. This well known, little discussed problem is one that must be addressed. Thousands of bars of soap with the human-trafficking hotline number have been provided to area businesses and establishments in hopes that the number may reach someone in need. There will also be shirts given away to honor this important week and a billboard to raise awareness. The local NCVRW coalition is proud to take a stand and be a continued voice for Crime Victims in the Tri-State.
Since 2004, the NCVRW Community Awareness Project has provided financial and technical assistance to more than 720 community projects that promote victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during NCVRW. Vanderburgh County was one of the 90 projects recommended by the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators and selected for funding by OVC for 2015 from the 194 applications that were submitted nationwide.
