Victims and Survivors of Crime Week wrapped Friday afternoon through an open house-The Power of Our Voices at the Williams Lake TRU campus.
Children Who Witness Abuse Coordinator at the Cariboo Friendship Society , Rhonda Surette was one of the many service providers raising awareness about the issues facing victims and survivors, as well the services that are available to help them and their families.
“A lot of time when there’s something traumatic that happens to the family, people tend to want to help the adults but we forget that the children are just as impacted. So I feel that coming to these just brings that awareness out that if the adults are needing help that we have to think of the little people who are also affected and that’s where my role would come in.”
Surette says she sees 15 kids each week, and that 8 of them are on a waiting list.
Other resource providers in attendance at the open house included Axis, Women’s Contact Society, Chiwid Transition House, Immigrant-Multicultural Services Society, Pregnancy Outreach Program, Boys and Girls Club, and Interior Health.
Harriet Hird with Williams Lake RCMP Victim Services says it was not difficult to get service providers to take part in the 2 day event.
“They all came together quite easily and it was amazing that we have so many tables here. There’s only three that were not able to come, so I’m really happy with the turnout.”
Karen Jim with RCMP Victim Services from Alexis Creek says they had met with high school students the previous day, adding that the response from them was amazing.
“The students that talked to me, they were really impressed with the whole presentation. They were saying that they totally enjoyed it, that they haven’t attended anything like this before and that the resources that where there were really helpful to them.”
The event, which was made possible through a grant from the Department of Justice, marked the first time Williams Lake has officially taken part in Victim and Survivors of Crime Week.
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