Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Victim - A person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action.
Service - An act of assisting; help; aid.
Center - The middle point.
Victim Service Center - A centrally located agency in Warsaw which is available to help people who are involved in various situations.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday for the newly formed Victim Service Center. The agency was created with the assistance of a state grant and houses victims' assistance advocates from the Warsaw Police Department and the Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office.
The agency's director, Becky Moreno, describes the center as a "one-stop shop" for people in need of services. The agency is able to provide assistance to victims of domestic battery, sexual assault and those in need of crisis intervention.
Volunteer advocates have undergone training in dealing with victims and more than a dozen are ready to help when called upon by the center. Volunteers carry pagers and are summoned by the Warsaw Police Department or Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department as needed.
Advocates are automatically called upon for all sexual assaults and will be paged at the request of a victim in domestic violence cases.
The center provides a quiet, homey atmosphere in which to interview victims as a way to help quiet nerves and put people at ease. A two-way mirror allows police and others interested in a case to observe an interview and ask questions via an earphone worn by the interviewer without putting the victim through multiple sessions of questions and stress. The room is available to officials from all police agencies, as well as child protective services and similar agencies in Kosciusko County.
"It's so much more comfortable that the police department or Justice Building," Moreno said.
Moreno said she is hoping that victims will take advantage of the services offered rather than continuing to live in dangerous conditions.
"More victims are realizing there is someplace to go," Moreno said. "They're victims whether we're here or not. It's important for them to know they have a place to go."
Many battered women feel isolated, Moreno said, and don't know how to get out of a bad situation without making it worse. The Victim Service Center can help. The center is somewhat of a clearinghouse - if they can't provide the needed services, they can direct people to the proper agency.
"Victims' needs are so varied," Moreno said. "Each person has needs unique to their personal situation and experiences."
The center allows for victims to contact just one person. "We do the rest," Moreno said. "We make all the necessary connections. They only need to make one connection. ... It's hard for victims to seek help, period. They're more likely to reach out if they only need to go to one spot."
Moreno stresses that just because a victim of domestic violence comes to the Victim's Service Center doesn't mean that charges will be filed against the offending spouse or significant other.
"We are, first and foremost, concerned with their safety," Moreno said. "A lot of people don't seek help because they don't want to press charges. Just because they report it doesn't mean they have to press charges. If they decide later that they want to press charges, we can help them with that."
Moreno said that the center also offers a large variety of resource material. This information is available to anyone who wants to use it, and many brochures are available for victims of various crimes or situations.
The $13,000 grant received from the state covers the cost of the center's rent and utilities. The grant is for one year and must be reapplied for in 2000. The salaries for Moreno and victims' assistance advocate Deb Pennington are covered through additional grants.
The center's furnishings have been donated from throughout the community and Moreno said she has received much positive response from organizations to which she has spoken.
"I'm seeing a change in community attitude," Moreno said. "People realize we do have victims in Kosciusko County ... and they want to get involved vs. seeing it and turning the other way."
Moreno said she hopes the churches in the area "get on board" with the center and let people know it is available. She said pastors are the only people some victims will go to and discuss their problems and, with the cooperation of the churches, the Victim's Service Center can provide additional support.
The Victim's Service Center is on the east side of the Warsaw Medical Arts Building at 600 E. Winona Ave.
For more information or for assistance, contact Moreno or Pennington at the center at 269-9112.
