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Victim Services - Events |
"Victims'
Rights 2001" |
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"A
Time To Remember Crime Victims"
Please join us in honoring and remembering those whose lives have been forever changed.
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Candlelight Service Commemorates Fayette Victims' Rights Day |
Rev. Wally Rendel, Senior Minister of Southern Acres welcomed all of the participants and provided the spiritual leadership for the service. Southern Acres has always been a leader in our community in recognizing the many sacrifices our law enforcement officers make on behalf of the rest of us. So it not surprising that Rev. Rendel would enthusiastically embrace such a memorial service. We thank him for his support and encouragement.
Rev. Marcia Woodyard of St. Paul United Methodist Church spoke of healing the pain of grief. Both Revs. Rendel and Woodyard paid tribute to all in attendance for their ability to move ahead in spite of the pain of loss with which they deal daily as crime victims. Fayette County Sheriff Kathy Witt, a co-sponsor of the Fayette County Victims' Rights Week activities, spoke at the service. She shared her commitment to serve victims of crime and listed the numerous services her office performs. Ray Larson, Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney, led the service in the candlelight memorial during which victims of crime were remembered.
Gifted, the outstanding Christian musical group, provided a number of uplifting songs. Their voices raised the spirits of all in attendance. The entire service was a tribute to the spirit of these crime survivors, and the strength which permits them to go on each day. We were also reminded that the victim’s voice should not be seen as a single candle in the darkness, but as a beacon of hope for the day that the criminal justice system will truly be a system of justice. |
Kentucky's Victims' Rights Day Inspires Crime Victims to Keep Up The Fight For Their Rights |
The Keynote Speaker was Marsha Kight, whose daughter was one of the 168 victims killed in the Oklahoma City bombing four years ago. Her message focused on the need for rights of victims, and the importance of keeping the public informed about the plight of victims in our society. The Kentuckians’ Voice for Crime Victims (KVCV) presented their 2000 Guardian Angel Awards to those who have made a lasting commitment to advocating and supporting crime victims in their path through the criminal justice system. KVCV Executive Director Jo Ann Phillips presented Guardian Angel Awards to:
To conclude the program, two crime victims, Gerrie Budgick, whose husband was murdered, and Lisa Hall, a victim of domestic violence, shared their tribulations as crime victims. Kentucky Victims' Rights Day was empowering and uplifting, and a testament to the strength of victims. This event showed that the voice of victims is not just a lone shout lost in the wind, but rather is the wind itself. A wind for change. |
"Victims'
Rights 2000" |
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"Without
a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community." This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with the national theme of "Victims’ Rights: Dare to Dream." The Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office is currently preparing a local and national observance of Crime Victims’ Rights’ Week, which has been designated as April 9-16. The purpose of this week is to remember victims of crime, support their families, and alert the public to the harsh realities of crime and it’s impact on victims and their loved ones. Crime Victims’ Rights’ Week is not only for people who have been recognized as crime victims, it involves community. Recovery from victimization is about healing, and we believe that healing is something to which everyone, our community, can relate. Fayette County Victims Rights Commemoration There are several events planned to coincide with this year’s commemoration. "Victims’ Rights: Dare to Dream" which emphasizes the importance of inspiration and motivation, and we can all certainly benefit from that. Along with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Fayette County Sheriff and M.A.D.D. Kentucky (Fayette County Chapter) will be sponsoring a special interfaith Candlelight Service to be held Sunday, April 16, at 3:00 pm at the Southern Acres Christian Church. There will be guest speakers, a brief musical program, and a candlelight devotional. This service is not only about victimization but about personal renewal and inspiration. Other activities to commemorate Crime Victims’ Rights’ Week and Child Abuse Prevention Month include: Thursday, April 6, 2000, 7:00 pm - Child Abuse Candlelight Vigil, sponsored by Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). This vigil will be held at Phoenix Park in Lexington, KY. Tuesday, April 11, 2000, at 1:00 pm - Kentucky Victims’ Rights Day, sponsored by the Office of the Attorney General. Guest speaker will be Marsha Kight, a mother of an Oklahoma City bombing victim and author of the book, "Forever Changed." This event will take place on the State Capital Steps, Frankfort, KY. Saturday, April 29, 2000, 2:00 pm- 4:30 pm - "Strike Out Child Abuse" BOWL-A-THON, sponsored by the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass. This fun-filled event will be at the Eastland Bowling Lanes, Lexington, KY. Individuals and corporations are invited to purchase tickets. Free T-Shirts will be given to all participants. |
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"A month or so before the trial was scheduled I got anxious. What if I went blank? How could I sit in the same room with the man who murdered my husband and tried to kill me? How could I endure hearing him say he was not guilty? What if he was found not guilty? Lord, how would I go on?" By author Gerrie Budgick The events which Gerrie Budgick described took place on October 6, 1997 in Fayette County, Kentucky. The man responsible for this heinous crime is now serving a 30 year sentence in the Kentucky prison system. This book is a testimonial that Ms. Budgick has written in order that she might share her story with others and foster an understanding as to how victims deal with the strife and pain of victimization. Ms. Budgick writes: "This book was written for those who have become victims from acts of violence and for those who desire to help them." All profits from this book will go to the Children’s Bus Ministry at Clay’s Mill Baptist Church. Books are available for the price of $6.00 and can be purchased at The Family Christian Book Store, 3160 Richmond Road, Lexington, KY, and the Clays Mill Road Baptist Church Book Store, 3000 Clays Mill Road, Lexington, KY. |
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National Organization of Victim Assistance Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Excellence |
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Los Angeles, California recently played host to the annual conference of the National Organization of Victim Assistance (NOVA). The theme of this year's conference was "Victim Assistance, Moving Toward the Next Millennium." It was also a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the organization, which has grown from a small grass roots movement into a powerful legislative influence and expansive educational network. Three of the victims' advocates from the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Jenny Provence, Angela Hopper, and Heather Shelton, attended the conference, held at the Century Plaza Hotel, August 29 - September 3. They were joined by more than 2,000 people from various disciplines; such as mental health, law enforcement, advocacy, etc., who came from all over North America. The conference offered workshops in different specialty areas; such as, domestic violence, juvenile justice, leadership skills, and various other topics to help participants enhance and expand their own victim assistance programs. Many of the workshops presented new ideas and models for improving the quality and level of assistance of our local program. Each of the advocates with our office have a specialty area on which they focus. With the variety of the workshops that the conference offered, each advocate was able to attend training within an area of her specialization Jenny Provence, who is involved in the new office initiative to better serve elderly victims of crime, participated in various workshops that were geared toward meeting the needs of this special population. Angela Hopper, who works with victims of juvenile crime, concentrated her time at the conference attending workshops that focused on aspects of the juvenile justice system and juvenile crime prevention. Heather Shelton, who advocates on behalf of child crime victims, used her time at the conference to learn more about new programs and protocols used by others in the child advocacy field. |
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"Victims'
Voices: Silent No More" |
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The personal safety of people is a top priority to the citizens of Fayette County. In keeping with tradition of years past, public and private agencies within Fayette County planned a special Flower Planting event to be held at the monument honoring crime victims, which is located on the lawn of the Fayette County Courthouse, on April 26, 1999. Weather conditions forced the ceremony to be moved inside the Courthouse. Guest speakers included:
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1999 Victims' Rights Recognition Ceremony |
| The Kentucky Victims Coalition (KVC)
is a statewide organization made up of representatives from both the public and private
sectors, who have a common goal of promoting fair, decent and compassionate treatment for
all crime victims in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Each year, KVC chooses
individuals and organizations, in various disciplines, that improve the quality of life
for victims in the aftermath of crime through their actions and leadership. The following individuals were recognized in March, 1999 for Outstanding Crime Victim Advocacy: Children's Services Award Community Based Advocate
Award Corrections Award Crime Victim Award Domestic Violence Award Law Enforcement Award Media Award Medical Award Prosecutor Award Prosecutor Based Advocate
Award Sexual Assault Award Social Services Award Victim Organization Award Volunteer Award Martha Elston Award |
The
featured speaker, Jayne Crisp,
was introduced by Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray
Larson as "an innovator who
brought the concerns of crime victims to the forefront." In her career
and now as a training consultant with the Department of Justice, she has spent
years working with crime victims. Ms. Crisp is now focusing on motivating
faith communities to respond to crime victims. She told of her years going to
court with victims and seeing ministers regularly sitting with offenders,
rarely their victims. She reported that crime victims are five times more
likely to present their concerns to the faith community than to all other
social services combined. Crime is a real trauma with affects that can last a
lifetime. For a variety of reasons, faith communities are ideal for aiding
crime victims. Ms. Crisp provided helpful materials that attendees could take
with them back to their congregations. She reiterated to everyone to support
crime victims because, "normal will never be normal again."
d
on the front lawn of the Fayette County Courthouse. This event turned our
attention to crime victims, the "forgotten persons of the criminal
justice system," and our goal to validate their harm and bring
closure to their experience as victims. Music for the Candlelight and
Flower Planting Service was provided by the Southern Hills Methodist
Bell Choir, and vocalists Holly High and Rachel Farar.
"My
mind was still in shock. I knew my husband had been shot before my eyes,
and I knew the gun had been turned on me, but I felt detached, like
everything had been played out in slow motion. Surely, this was a play and
would soon be over . . . but this play was lasting too long."
During the week of April 25 through May 1, 1999, community organizations
that assist victims of violent crime in Lexington joined together to promote the national
theme "Victims' Voices: Silent No More."
The Victims' Memorial, placed
on the lawn of the Fayette County Courthouse in 1991, serves as a reminder for the
citizens of Fayette County that victims are not forgotten. It also reminds the
prosecutors and advocates that their work has a purpose. It is a reminder for every
victim that they are not just another statistic, but that they are individuals with rights
and they are people who matter.