INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller presented Southern Indiana victim service providers with 2016 Voices for Victims awards today to recognize their outstanding dedication to serving and giving a voice to victims in Indiana.
The Voices for Victims awards program is part of the Attorney General’s Victims Services and Outreach Division, which Zoeller established in May of 2015 to focus support on victims of violent crimes, including human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault. He said the awards were inspired during recent visits to victim service providers across the state that showcased the brave and selfless work being done by individuals to help those traumatized by violent crime.
The Southern Indiana award recipients include:
- Yvonne Moore, Collaborative Care Supervisor, Department of Child Services, IPATH Member. Dedicated to serving child victims for decades, Yvonne in recent years has also been a leader in the statewide taskforce to combat human trafficking. Additionally, she organized a conference of over 250 service providers and community leaders at IU Southeast. Yvonne is passionate about her work and spends her free time serving victims and survivors of human trafficking, especially children.
- Angela Renfro, Founder of Kristy Love Foundation. As a survivor of child sexual abuse beginning at the age of 3, Angela was trafficked throughout her youth and young adult years. Despite tremendous trauma, Angela went on to establish the Kristy Love Foundation, which serves victims of human trafficking by providing trauma counseling services, job skills training and other support in a residential shelter. Her shelter serves victims in Southern Indiana. Earlier this year, Angela was the keynote speaker at the IPATH taskforce conference held at IU Southeast.
- Amy Leenerts, Founder of Free2Hope, Inc. As a survivor leader of human trafficking victims, Amy established the organization “Free2Hope, Inc.,†which provides outreach and training in Southern Indiana. Suffering extreme abuse for years, Amy was able to find the strength to survive and inspire others. As a board member of the Kristy Love Foundation, Amy presents at many conferences and trainings across the State of Indiana.
“These extraordinary leaders embody the compassionate, selfless and often unnoticed work being done to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society,†Zoeller said. “The road to recovery for these individuals is long and difficult. The awards recognize the heroes among us helping victims to navigate the legal system, process trauma and rebuild their lives.â€
Zoeller said the award recipients exemplify the mission of his office’s Victim Services and Outreach Division, which is to ensure victims have access to assistance and are treated with dignity and respect in the court system and beyond.
Recipients include victim advocates, directors and staff at victims’ shelters, survivors and others who have shown selfless devotion to the causes of victims, either on behalf of individuals, or in policy roles, legal representation or in other ways. Service providers are especially recognized for their dedication to underserved and vulnerable populations, including children, women, immigrants and ethnic groups.
Award recipients receive an honorary plaque and will be recognized in the Attorney General’s monthly newsletter sent to the approximately 500-member Victim Advocates’ Network created by the Victim Services and Outreach Division to connect and provide resources to those who serve victims in Indiana. Advocates who are interested in joining the Victim Advocates’ Network can contact the Attorney General’s Office by emailing VictimAdvocateNetwork@atg.in.gov.
The Office of the Indiana Attorney General also offers programs to assist victims directly. Domestic violence victims can obtain the assistance of the Hope Card program which summarizes court protective order details on a laminated card for a victim to provide quickly to law enforcement. Victims also can participate in the Address Confidentiality program that provides a secure mailing location where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking can receive their mail to ensure their perpetrators do not discover a new street address.
More information about these resources can be found here.
