Kudos
In the world of Rape and Abuse Advocacy it is rare to see the "fruit of your labors" whether it is a late night hot line call, a weekend hospital trip, an article written or a speech given more often then not you never see the end results of the work you. Because of the nature of our work it is not uncommon to never have contact with an individual who's phone call you take on the hot line or who's hand you hold at the hospital. It is even more rare that you will ever know who was moved to action by an article you've written or a speech you given. Still you go about doing it praying that some good is coming of it and that changes are being made. Because of the nature of our justice system even if you are helping a victim from start to finish through the legal process it is highly unlikely that justice will be received. More often then not plea bargains are made, charges are dropped or changed and the victim is left questioning whether it was even worth reporting. Anyone who has ever helped a victim knows how heart wrenching those feeling can be for them which is what makes emails such as this on from the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit counties even more sweet.
"I wanted to share a happy survivor story with you. Yesterday a sexual assault survivor got the justice she wanted. Her perpetrator was sentenced to 40 years to life. He will be 85 by the time he has his first parole hearing. This survivor had initially wanted to remain quiet about her assault out of fear. However, she found the strength, through the unwavering support of friends, family, and advocates, to come forward. It’s been almost six month since she first disclosed and yesterday she sat with her head held high while his sentence was read. Working with this woman has truly been a gift. I wanted to share this with you because this is what we all work for everyday: a survivor getting her desired outcome. Thank you again for all the work you do. You really do make a difference!"
DW
Direct Service Advocate
Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties
Anyone working with survivors knows how sweet these types of emails are. They are few and far between and although we don't need them to continue our work we are grateful when one comes to us because for a just a minute we are reminded that as hard as this work is and as is discouraging as it can be change is possible. There is joy in knowing that every time we put ourselves out there and take a stand against the violence in our streets, our relationships and our homes we become part of the solution and agents for change until letters like this become the rule and not the exception. During this season of thanksgiving I am especially grateful for emails like this and for survivors that are willing to fight the good fight to make sure perpetrators are locked up for the crimes they commit. It takes everyone. I hope you'll reach out to the agencies in your area and find a way to help a survivor move forward. If you need ideas or helps shot me a massage I'll be happy to help you find a way that works best for you.
"I wanted to share a happy survivor story with you. Yesterday a sexual assault survivor got the justice she wanted. Her perpetrator was sentenced to 40 years to life. He will be 85 by the time he has his first parole hearing. This survivor had initially wanted to remain quiet about her assault out of fear. However, she found the strength, through the unwavering support of friends, family, and advocates, to come forward. It’s been almost six month since she first disclosed and yesterday she sat with her head held high while his sentence was read. Working with this woman has truly been a gift. I wanted to share this with you because this is what we all work for everyday: a survivor getting her desired outcome. Thank you again for all the work you do. You really do make a difference!"
DW
Direct Service Advocate
Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties
Anyone working with survivors knows how sweet these types of emails are. They are few and far between and although we don't need them to continue our work we are grateful when one comes to us because for a just a minute we are reminded that as hard as this work is and as is discouraging as it can be change is possible. There is joy in knowing that every time we put ourselves out there and take a stand against the violence in our streets, our relationships and our homes we become part of the solution and agents for change until letters like this become the rule and not the exception. During this season of thanksgiving I am especially grateful for emails like this and for survivors that are willing to fight the good fight to make sure perpetrators are locked up for the crimes they commit. It takes everyone. I hope you'll reach out to the agencies in your area and find a way to help a survivor move forward. If you need ideas or helps shot me a massage I'll be happy to help you find a way that works best for you.
Comments
Post a Comment