MARY ONAMA from Montgomery County Victim Services attended our meeting last week and gave a talk on the functions , goals, and achievements of a county wide service that assists those that have been traumatized by sexual violence and other crimes . The agency offers guidance, counciling, therapy, and legal services, at no cost to the victims. The Center was in the forefront of creating a rape center, as Pennsylvania lead the nation in this area of assistance. The help over 3000 victims a year, and care / counselling extend to the families , not just the victims. They find the kids often cause the most problems, so family involvement is very essential to their work.
The service is offered offsite at schools and other community organizations, teaching sexual violence safety to both girls and boys, as violence occurs to both.
Their funding comes from federal and state budgets, foundations, and local contributions.
Mary introduced STACY LUDY who gave a moving personal account of the long reaching affects of violence, recounting how she lost a daughter and granddaughter in a homicide. Stacy worked to help get conviction in the crime and received support from an agency in Virginia and later thru the Montco Victim Center. She lost a second daughter to opioid addiction , brought on by the drama of the homicide. The Center has been instrumental in getting her thru all of this tragedy, and she now works to help promote the Center.
For further information and assistance, contact them at:
www.victimservicecenter.org
Thanks you Mary and Stacy.
ROBIN PARKER, Club President, member SUNANDA CHARLES, who introduced the guests, speakers MARY ORAMA, and TRACY LUDY, and member DENISE ASHE.