FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
45 years ago when Lola Linstad and Linda Barker came up with the idea to build a support network for families of missing persons, nobody could have imagined the impact they would have. What began as 13 families meeting in a small building to share stories, has grown into a robust Crime Victim Service Center that provides FREE services to individuals, their loved ones, and…
Read MoreHoliday Grief in the times of COVID
Written By: Janet, Hotline Coordinator In a year of extraordinary loss, more than likely, facing the holidays is filling many with anxiety. After almost a year of families staying home, and separated from one another, being unable to get together for holidays is not a new thing. However, being stuck at home due to COVID, in addition to “normal grief”, leaves people also grieving the…
Read MoreOctober’s Employees of the Month
The staff at Victim Support Service has been working so incredibly hard that we had TWO Employees of the Month for October. Congratulations to Victim Services Coordinator, Melissa Isenhart, and Hotline Coordinator, Janet Quiroga, for being voted in by their peers as Employees of the Month for October! Melissa Melissa has been with VSS since May of this year. She provides services to victims of…
Read MoreWelcome to VSS, Kaili!
Victim Support Services is excited to announce that we have hired our new Victim Services Coordinator that will be providing direct services to our clients in King County! Please join us in welcoming Kaili to the team! Kaili is currently finishing her Master’s program in Criminal Justice at Seattle University, with an anticipated completion date in December. She also has her Bachelor of Arts in…
Read MoreHello Janine!
Victim Support Services is pleased to welcome one of our newest members to the team, Janine! Janine is our Victim Services and Outreach Coordinator, providing direct services to victims of crime in all regions we serve, as well as providing outreach and education to the community. As part of a career change, Janine returned to school in 2017. She recently graduated in 2020 with her…
Read MoreMeet Melissa and Davie!
VSS is proud to announce that we have a new all regions advocate and court house dog! Melissa and Davie are the latest members of the VSS family and we are excited to share this amazing news with you all. Melissa grew up in Iowa on a small hobby farm with horses. She participated in 4H and high school rodeo. She attended the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse and…
Read MoreMeet VSS’s New Employee, Amanda
VSS is happy to welcome our new Snohomish County Advocate, Amanda! She recently graduated from Biola University in South California with a degree in Sociology (Criminology concentration) and a minor in music (voice). She is excited to have moved back to the beautiful PNW (where she grew up) and to start working at VSS! When not at work, you can find Amanda with her 2 rescue dogs (one she…
Read MoreTeen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Written By: Jennifer, Whatcom County Advocate February is known as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, with 2020 being the 10th year of bringing awareness to such an important issue. According to Love is Respect, dating violence among teenagers is incredibly common – more so than most people realize. 1 out of 3 teenagers will be involved in an abusive relationship. These teens will experience physical, sexual,…
Read MoreLabor Trafficking in the United States Using Temporary Visas
Written By: Rachel, King County Advocate It is a common belief that human trafficking victims are kidnapped or otherwise violently brought illegally into the country and forced to work. While this is an unfortunate reality, more often trafficking victims have come to the US legally on temporary work visas. They are then forced into labor under the guise of legal employment, especially in the fields…
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