Testimonials help convey what Victim Outreach does and who we help.
"This situation is so incredibly messed up but I think it has pointed us (small child) in the direction of finding healthy people to be with - something I have been trying for since he was born. I am so excited about all of this and again, I thank you so much for everything you have done. You gave me hope in a really hopeless and helpless situation. I will never be able to thank you enough for that."
"I prayed that this was a dream and that I could survive just long enough to wake up. Every morning when reality hit, it felt like he died all over again. I don’t know how I survived, much less my unborn baby."
"Perhaps most importantly, I can recall the sounds of their voices every time I needed them. I remember never feeling alone in my grief. I remember feeling someone’s hand on my shoulder when I thought I couldn’t possibly endure anymore."
"The people at Victim’s Outreach do more than see that victims’ rights are followed. They give a victim peace of mind and hope – because when you have someone on your side, it makes even the darkest nights seem brighter."
"Just who are these people anyway? Those were my thoughts on the day my life changed forever. You don’t know you’re going to need their help. When it happens to you, you’re lost and do not think straight. You can’t think straight or see anything. At first you think NO WAY! It took some time for me to learn just how important the people at Victim Outreach were to me and my family."
"I’m glad they were there through every step. They helped as much as they could. They helped me through legal questions, connecting me with people who could when they couldn’t. They consoled us. They care."
"I want to thank all of you at Victim’s Outreach. I know that if it had not been for you I wouldn’t have taken my case all the way to court. I know that for a fact because when I was 17 and I told the police my grandfather was molesting me, they treated me real bad. After that, I wouldn’t tell the DA what happened. I just couldn’t face telling my story again."
"When I was raped, they (VOI Advocates) were there from the start of a very terrifying ordeal. Going through the test at the hospital was bad enough, but to tell what happened was even worse. Having one of the people from Victims’ Outreach there made a big difference."
"When you have to face talking to person after person, it helps to know there is someone beside you who cares. One of the ladies went with me to take a lie detector test. I was there for a couple of hours. I had to have a man hook up wires around my chest. He asked some very embarrassing questions. The only way I made it through was knowing I had someone waiting for me."
"I have you to thank for my baby girl because you got me the right help. When I tried to commit suicide you stood by me. It made me feel that I do matter. And because I feel that way, I have learned to love myself, and I’ve learned to love that little baby growing inside of me."
"They helped me get set up with a therapist. They went with me to my appointment with the DA. And when I was afraid of testifying, they took me to the courthouse where I got to go to a courtroom. I got to go in where someone was being tried. And then we went to an empty courtroom and I got to see where the witness and the Judge sits. When it came to testify I wasn’t so afraid."
"When he got off, I wanted to die. I thought he won, but she helped me to see that he didn’t win because for nine months before the trial he was locked up. So for nine months he lost control of his life, like I did. She helped me to see that because I stood up for myself I got back some of the dignity that he took from me."
"I can see why women hesitate to report rapes. If there were more people like the people at Victim Outreach, I feel more crimes would be reported."
"On the day of that senseless crime that changed our lives forever, I remember my first impression of the person who later became my main support. I thought “Who are you to come here and tell me what will be, when I know nothing about you, and yet you people know so much about what happened to me? Thanks, but I don’t want your help!” Through the following hazy days, these people (VOI Advocates), who’d never seen me or our family, were so understanding and always there to lend a kind word or help us understand what was happening with the police."
"I’d never dreamed of going through trials and having to testify against, or for, someone. You people were there and sat with me in that courtroom, when otherwise, I would have had to sit alone. My whole experience of courts, judges, two sets of lawyers and people who hurt me was made easier by your staff and one very special person who remains to this day a big support in my life."
"You stayed that day, even though I cried, “I don’t need your help!” The truth is, I honestly would not have made it through such a trying and scary time in my life without your help."
"My family and I wish to express our extreme gratitude for the professional, skillful and compassionate guidance and assistance your advocate has provided to me and my family following the murder of my eldest and first born son. During this most difficult time of our lives, she was right there for us from the beginning, helping us to cope with our loss. She should be commended for doing an excellent job."
"First she made us aware of the financial assistance available to us so that my daughter and I could make funeral arrangements in the manner that we desired and move him, his furniture, car and belongings back home. She provided me with local contacts here for emotional support in this state which led my family and me to the local chapter of Victims of Homicide who have helped us tremendously. Over the year, she has listened with kindness and compassion to what I know has often been endless ramblings about my son as I struggled with my shock and grief. She provided a keen understanding of what I was going through at the time and knowledgeable feedback on what I could expect later on as I went through the grieving process. She also often served as a liaison to the police department for us."
"During this past year, she was patient enough to listen to the various theories we had as we struggled to solve his case and whenever we had an unanswered question, she would either have the answer or get it for us. She has always promptly returned all my calls and checked in on me when she didn’t hear from me."
"Frankly, I don’t know what we would have done without her expertise and caring over this long, long year. Thankfully, as of this spring, four people were arraigned and charged with first-degree murder of my son. Now we enter a new phase of the process."
