The coronavirus pandemic has made life harder for most, but for victims of crimes, the added stress can exacerbate their trauma. The Crime Victims Advocacy Council (CVAC) is a 30-year-old, not-for-profit organization that offers free services to victims of all types of crime from anywhere.
“No victims are turned away, and we at CVAC do our best to provide whatever the victim may need,” said Brooks Hunnicutt, the executive director of CVAC and a retired licensed professional counselor, who has been a victim advocate for over 20 years and is a crime victim herself.
CVAC offers a 24 hour hotline, assistance with the criminal justice system, information regarding crime victim rights in the state of Georgia, information on managing life issues such as grief, stress, self care and PTSD, support groups and one-on-one consultation in person or online and more.
“This work is my passion because there is so much to be done to help victims put their lives back together,” said Brooks. “As an advocate over the years, I have had the inimitable joy of watching victims rebuild their lives as I did mine.”
During the pandemic, CVAC has increased its focus on stress management and isolation issues, particularly as these problems are frequently magnified over the holidays, even in the absence of the coronavirus pandemic. To support victims, CVAC offers information about self-care, about how to celebrate the holidays in light of their victimization issues and the pandemic, and about how to establish new traditions as they cope with stress, grief and depression.
Who’s helping?
The Crime Victims Advocacy Council (CVAC)
Services: CVAC offers free services such as support groups, events, assistance navigating the justice system and a 24-hour hotline to victims of all types of crime from any Georgia county or other state.
Where to donate: CVAC has a permanent GoFundMe charitable donation site, and their fundraising goal for before April 25, at the end of National Crime Victims Rights Week, is $75,000. A check can be made out to CVAC and mailed to 3101 Paces Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30339 or donations can be made online at gf.me/u/y93b9.
How to get help: If you need any kind of help for a victim of any crime, anywhere, for information, resources and referrals, contact CVAC 24 hours a day at 770-333-9254.
If you are involved in or know of an organization working to bring relief to the Atlanta community during the coronavirus pandemic OR you are with an organization with supplies that you don’t know where to donate, please email us at Shannon.n.Dominy@gmail.com.
