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THE.ROOT.OF.THE.PROBLEM We hosted a group of Bham Metro area leaders recently to share our mission & get feedback on our future plans. Here is just one response: “ Like we just saw in your PowerPoint, in no other type of crime do we go to the victim to try to stop that crime. Domestic violence is the only crime where we expect victims to solve it. If we’re trying to stop robbery or murders or anything else, we don’t go to the victims to try to prevent it, we go to the people who you think might be committing it. So the mindset of the MMF is to flip it, “let’s make sure this doesn’t happen to begin with. That’s different, but necessary.” #domesticviolence #healthyrelationships #earlyinterventionIPV #relationshipviolenceprevention #grantmaking #stopitbeforeitstarts #catalystforchange #domesticviolenceprevention

The Crime Victims Fund is historically low. Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) programs are at risk of significant reductions without this additional bridge funding. Victim service programs are facing detrimental funding cuts. Free services for survivors are at risk. We must close the funding gap for victim services and #SupportSurvivors by expeditiously passing the #VOCABridge

📢 Advocacy Alert! Did you know that the Victims of Crime Act (#VOCA) is facing a critical reduction of 40% in 2024? The proposed cut will endanger millions of victims and survivors of violence. The Crime Victims Fund supports vital services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and more. These services are lifesaving. However, looming cuts threaten to force layoffs, program cuts, and even the closure of essential programs across the nation. Congress must fund the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) in the 2024 fiscal year budget without sacrificing other critical programs that protect public safety. Your voice matters. Write your members of Congress now here: https://bit.ly/3Sp6sSJ #MyVoiceMatters #SupportingSurvivors #DomesticViolenceAwareness

Put Victims First VA. We are actively monitoring the General Assembly budget amendments 394 #2h (Chief Patron Delegate Karrie Delaney) and 394 #1s (Chief Patron Senator barbara favola) as we eagerly await the news that impacts the lives of so many Virginians. Local agencies providing life-saving services for victims of crime are facing a financial crisis like we’ve never seen. In the past 5 years alone, Virginia’s funding from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) has been cut by a whopping 47.5% and discretionary TANF funding is projected to disappear by FY25. As a result of these ongoing and devastating cuts, the community safety-net for victims is rapidly eroding. But we can turn this around. It's not too late to contact your Delegate and Senator and voice your opinion that if policy leaders don’t act now, victims of human trafficking, child sexual assault, domestic violence, and other violent crimes will suffer. ALL VICTIMS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAFETY, SUPPORT, AND HEALING THAT THEY SO DESPERATELY DESERVE. Take an easy action! Let your reps know that we need their support. Find your Representatives in VA at https://lnkd.in/egNeMzuZ WHAT DOES A VICTIMS’ SERVICES CRISIS LOOK LIKE? * A domestic violence victim seeking safety is unable to find emergency shelter because there are no available beds. * A trafficked child who needs a forensic exam has to travel two counties over for the nearest services. * An emergency hotline that was previously available 24/7 now only operates weekdays from 9am-5pm. * A sexual assault victim who needs trauma counseling is put on a 3-month waiting list for the services the need. * A prosecutor who needs testimony for their case but no Victim-Witness Advocate is available to help. This is happening already in Virginia and it will only get worse if we don’t act now. VICTIMS DESERVE BETTER What would a sustainable, robust, and effective response for victims look like? **** A 24/7/365 Hotline that responds to calls, texts, chats helping victims safety plan, access emergency shelter, find medical and legal help, provide referrals to community-based resources,and more. **** A Victim Witness advocate in every prosecutor’s office who can work with victims to collect impact statements, prepare for testimony and/or court, support legal and systems-based remedies, and refer to life-saving resources in the community. **** A Fully staffed Sexual and Domestic Violence Agency where victims can receive confidential and safe access to services, including emergency shelter and transitional housing, hospital and court accompaniment, trauma counseling, child and family advocacy, violence prevention programming, etc. **** Fully staffed Child Advocacy Center where childabuse and trafficking victims can receive trauma-informed and family-focused services includingforensic exams, criminal and legal systemsnavigation, medical advocacy, and ongoingcounseling for children and families.

Supporting Crime Victims Series, Cody Thomas Rounds, https://lnkd.in/eugK8fcY In the often complex and uncharted terrain of victim support, an insightful perspective is offered by www.CodyThomasRounds.com. Through its latest blog post titled 'Untold Stories: Supporting Crime Victims,' it illustrates that victim support goes beyond traditional notions. • Stigma often surrounds victims of crime which can exacerbate their emotional trauma. This new perspective challenges us to rethink the ways we foster environments that acknowledge and address these distresses. • Crime victims often find it daunting to navigate the psychological turbulence alone. The key to genuine support lies in developing empathetic communication that enables a sense of security and understanding. Given this perspective, I predict a significant shift in methodologies applied to crime victim support in the coming years. Rather than just necessitating legal actions, experts will also emphasize the need for empathic and compassionate approaches for holistic healing. Just as all of us evolve, so should our handling of society's complexities. Compassion makes us human, and reaching out might just make a world of difference to a vulnerable life, locked away behind the bars of their traumatic experiences. #VictimSupport #CrimeVictims #SupportSystems #TraumaHealing #EmotionalWellBeing

Victim service providers, such as Alexandra House, have already lost funds due to Victims of Crime Act (#VOCA) cuts. That means many victims and survivors have and will be left without the vital aid victim service providers give. Learn more about the impacts of VOCA cuts at https://ow.ly/5bvM50Qubxb

🚨 Funding cuts threaten vital support for victims! 🚨 Colorado's primary funding source for victims' services, VOCA, is facing a massive hit. Without action, victims of all crimes, especially sexual assault survivors, will be left without crucial resources. Brie Franklin, Executive Director of CCASA, highlights the severity of the situation in this 9 News Interview. Learn more about this critical issue: https://lnkd.in/gVP8UvJC #Crisis4Victims #SupportSurvivors

The more you understand the impact of these crimes on people and communities, the more you understand the importance of funding services that help those who need it most. These programs already run on tight budgets and have to compete with one another to get grant funding. Cutting their funding reduces their ability to innovate. Cutting their funding reduces their ability to help. Reach out to your local domestic violence provider and ask them how important this funding is as they help those in YOUR community. #DomesticViolenceAwareness #InnovationWithEmpathy #TechForGood #TechSafety #LoopedSolutionsPurple

Many victim assistance programs receive funding from the federal Crime Victims Fund (CVF) -- funded through fines and settlements and other monetary penalties associated with federal criminal prosecutions. The CVF funding fluctuates and there is the potential for a $600 million cut to be made, which will leave many victim assistance programs unable to carry on their vital role in supporting crime victims. The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act is a solution which redirects unobligated funds from the False Claims Act (FCA). For detailed information about the bill, visit: https://lnkd.in/e8WD9hXK We need your support. Ask your local representative to support this bill (HR-8061) so important programs like our receive full funding. Contact your rep here: https://lnkd.in/eK3e3PX! 1. Be sure to tell them about the importance of VOCA funding to victim/survivor services and the dire straits we face with a prospective 40+ percent cut in the Crime Victims Fund. 2. Specifically ask them to join Reps. Wagner, Costa, Dingell and Moran as co-sponsors of the bill. 3. Ask them to request a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill.

Congress is proposing a $700 million cut to VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) to trim the federal budget. The VOCA Crime Victims Fund is essential not only to Newhouse, but also to organizations nation-wide who help victims of crimes. This 40% cut is putting survivors in grave danger, and WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please take time to call your Congressional Representatives and Senators and tell them to save #VOCA!