Please, join us and be 1:1 again this year
Victims Services shines a light on the cost of providing critical support to people who are victims of crime and tragedy
October 30, 2020 (Airdrie) – For the 28th consecutive time, Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society (ADVAS) served a record number of people over the last year. In total, the charity provided critical assistance to more than 4,300 cases last year, a 56% increase from the prior year, and an 88% increase in just 5 years. It is expected that the organization will set a new record again in 2020.
“This year has been hard on the people in our community. Our support for cases was already increasing, and the pandemic has impacted people in a variety of ways,” Karen Kuntz, Executive Director at ADVAS.
More than 2,000 of the cases supported by ADVAS Advocates and team members related to people who were facing domestic violence, a 47% increase from the prior year. “Alongside our partners the RCMP and Community Links, and with the support of the community, local businesses, and government, we have worked every day for 28 years towards family violence prevention and recovery from family violence,” says Kuntz, “We are proud to be the first call that is made for assistance, and we are grateful for the partners in our community who are working to bring safety, stability, and recovery to women, children, and men who face family violence.”
Patti Reid, ADVAS Chairperson, notes that academic research proves that timely assistance from properly trained victims assistance services can make a big difference in recovery for people who are victims, “Stats show that people who have the right support as they try to heal from a traumatic experience have better overall outcomes,” says Reid, “People who receive the right assistance have better mental and physical health outcomes, and they don’t face the same ongoing financial hardship as people who don’t receive appropriate assistance.” The data also shows a greater probability of graduating and fewer future interactions with the legal system for children and youth who receive support. All of the outcomes combined, the support provided by victims assistance groups have a considerable net positive result for local and regional economies.
To support their work with people who are the victims of crimes and tragedies, the organization is asking community members and their family and friends from across Southern and Central Alberta to support the 1:1 Campaign. “We are proud of the impact that our team can deliver for a small investment,” Reid says, “It costs just $74 to provide critical support to one person who is a victim of crime or tragedy, and through this campaign, we are asking people to each support one victim, one woman, one man, one child who needs support today. We want the community to be one to one.” On the goal of the campaign, Reid added, “We have 1,000 cases this year that we need to secure funding for. So if a person or business can be one to one, or ten to one, or a hundred to one, we really need their support.”
The organization is encouraging individuals and businesses to visit ADVAS.ca to make a donation, and to follow Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society on Facebook for campaign updates.
—
For more information:
Conor Tapp, Airdrie and District Victims Assistance Society
403.399.7538
conor@advas.ca
