Happy Holidays! – A Note of Gratitude from Our Executive Director
To Whom it May Concern,
It is with humility and gratitude that I wish you a happy holiday season. Because of the support of our community (YOU) we have reached 9,658 individuals to date in 2019 with courtroom advocacy, counseling, assistance through our hotline and through classes and outreach programming. We have expanded our therapy program to offer counseling in 4 counties. The 24-hour statewide crime victims hotline has continued to grow and help hundreds of crime victims each month. Our community partnerships and collaborations are growing. We opened up an Island County facility in Oak Harbor through the Tompkins Project. We have a new Skagit County office located in Sedro-Woolley. We are able to support and advocate for victims of crime and their families each day because of contributions and participation from you and others like you.
We are excited to be offering new programming and ways to assist those who are experiencing trauma in 2020. One of the things we are most excited about is a therapy dog we will be adding to our VSS family. There is a lot of training that must occur, but we anticipate having him in April! Many studies have shown the calming effect a dog has on people. Having access to a dog while working with an advocate, testifying in courtrooms, and receiving counseling will have a huge positive impact on many.
We also intend to continue to grow our therapy program and expand our training program to help assist with the Criminal Justice Department at Seattle University. This will allow us not only to ensure that people going into criminal justice have a deep understanding of victims, but also to expand advocacy and access to help within our organization.
You have had a part to play in our offerings to date and we are so, incredibly grateful! I would like to ask that you continue to support those who are experiencing trauma, many of whom are going through the most stressful times of their lives and are grieving the person they were before the crime occurred. We are delighted to announce that we have the support of best-selling novelist, Robert Dugoni and his wife, Cristina, who will be matching all end of year donations up to $5,000. This means that every dollar you donate will become two thanks to their generous support in memory of fallen officer, and former VSS board member, Scott Tompkins.
Your gift makes an incredible impact on crime victims in our area. Your donation is a new door or locks to someone who has been burglarized. It is a support group for a mother who lost her child to homicide. It is a shoulder to cry on and an expert to support a crime victim in court. It is hope and reassurance that the world isn’t all bad.
I can’t thank you enough for the volunteer hours, the financial contributions, the social media shares and the general support you have shown over the past year. Thank you for your continued support. Happy holidays!
In Gratitude,
Anne Anderson
Executive Director
Victim Support Services