NEWS RELEASE
NORTH SIMCOE VICTIM SERVICES
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We all have read stories or watched movies at this festive time of year that include quiet visits to our homes to bring seasonal joy to the family who dwells there. What if those quiet visitors were there to bring comfort, support, compassion and resources in your greatest hour of need?
North Simcoe Victim Services (NSVS) crisis responders do just that in those moments that your world is shattered. For women and often their children experiencing a prolonged period of intimate partner violence that are able to escape this cruel reality, to victims of tragic circumstances such as devastating fires, MVAs (motor vehicle accidents), to the shock and pain of a sudden and unexpected death in your circle of loved ones, NSVS responders and staff work around the clock to reassure community members that they are not alone.
This kind of “gift” is given over and over again confidentially, without seeking accolades or public attention, at no cost to the victims of crime, trauma and tragic circumstances in our community.
This year since April 1, NSVS has responded to over 800 calls for support with intimate partner violence being the No. 1 type of call with 176 calls for support in a six-month period this year alone. The second-highest number of calls our volunteers have responded to are tragic circumstances that include MVAs, fire, all types of deaths are included in this whether it is a drowning, MVA, suicide, overdose, natural death, or unexpected death.
Our crisis response volunteers are trained for 10 weeks with many experts from the community instructing and training our new recruits in dealing with sudden death/suicide, communications, mental health preparedness, sexual assault, and many other topics.
We have experienced a significant increase in calls for service, with a 135 per cent rise from 2019-20 to 2023-24. In order to keep up with the demand for services such as emergency accommodation (in which the funding for this resource was recently cut by the county), we need help from the community.
We have created an NSVS Holiday Campaign that invites community members to become a special type of donor, a SAVE (Support Advocate for Victim Empowerment) monthly donor. We are appealing to community members to help us support the victims we serve 365 days of the year with a monthly contribution that will give support all year long.
- $10 per month will help with the purchase of Tim Hortons gift cards
- $25 per month helps support our volunteer training
- $50 per month will help us provide backpacks for victims needing emergency accommodation items
- $100 to $250 per month helps provide hotel accommodation while we work on next steps for the victim
Donors who sign up before Jan. 15, 2025 will receive one of our new NSVS branded FOX 40 whistles, the same type we give to victims for their personal security. A stocking stuffer idea — purchase one or more of the FOX 40 whistles for only $20 each and 100 per cent of those funds go towards victim care.
Go to our website, www.ns-vs.com, to our event page for all the information about our NSVS Holiday Campaign or contact development director Lynn Thomas, [email protected], for more information. Pickup of the FOX 40 whistles is at our office at the Orillia OPP detachment, 1 University Ave., Orillia, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Remember, the holiday season is not all cheer for many of our neighbours here in north Simcoe.
Our crisis responders will continue to respond to heartbroken families and individuals, leave their own holiday family gatherings to go in a moment’s notice to support those community members.
Together we can bring the support that any one of us may or have needed in an hour of greatest need. Help us to continue to live out our mandate: “Crisis Response — Caring Support.”
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