United Way of Santa Cruz County in commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), April 19–25, 2020, is raising awareness through social media about crime victims’ issues and rights and introduce the community to the important resources and services available. This matters to our community because according to the most recent National Crime Victimization Survey from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 3.3 million Americans age 12 or older were victims of violent crime in 2018.
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of NCVRW by promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme—Seek Justice | Ensure Victims’ Rights | Inspire Hope—recognizes the individuals and groups whose advocacy has propelled the victims’ rights movement forward for the past half-century, inspiring in victims and their loved ones a feeling of hope for progress, justice, and healing.
OVC and our Community Impact team encourage participation in victim-related observances throughout the year. OVC will host the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime. For additional ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.
