HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-01-31, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2008. PAGE 7.
Grief and tragedy are an
unfortunate part of life. The
shadow of their possibility
lurks behind every person’s
every moment of every day.
The harsh reality is that a
victim can be anyone at any
time without warning.
One of the worst aspects of
this is that it often strikes so
swiftly, there’s not always
someone there to support you.
That’s where Victim
Services enters the picture.
Funded through the Ministry
of the Attorney General and
developed by a steering
committee, the provincial
organization
came to Huron in
December, 2003.
According to
Victim Services
executive
director Shelley
Dorey calls can
come in through
referrals by
police, hospitals,
fire and ambulance service,
but there are also self-
referrals. Phone support is
also offered.
“We are the agency that fills
the spot for people who
wonder when something
traumatic has happened
where they go.”
The most calls come as a
result of sudden death and
domestic violence. “With the
latter, we will not offer
support until the perpetrator is
in custody.”
Volunteers will often
accompany police when they
notify next of kin following a
crash. “What we offer is
short-term emotional support,
practical assistance and
community referrals.”
“We know that people have
natural supports in life. But
often it can take those
supports awhile to reach
them. We are there to help
them until then.”
“We basically try to lessen
the impact and help them
cope.”
Dorey said they provide
resource and support
information to the victims,
but it’s “entirely up to them
whether they use it.”
“When tragedy happens,
control of their life has been
taken. We stress the
importance of having options
to regain that control.”
With sexual assaults, Dorey
said they will provide the
victim with transportion to
London for the tests and will
support them through the
ordeal.
They also receive many
direct phone calls. Though,
Dorey said, they can only
respond
during
office hours
there is a
confidential
pager on
the
answering
machine, so
people can
call in the
middle of the night if
necessary.
In Huron from April 2006
to April 2007,Victim Services
volunteers assisted 221
victims on scene. They
offered phone support to
another 153 people and made
258 referals to community
agencies. They logged 25,096
hours.
Dorey said that currently 60
volunteers are working in the
organization, which,
unfortunately, is not enough.
“Ideally we would like 120.”
Recruitment and training
occurs every spring.
Volunteers undergo 40 hours
of training as mandated
through the Ministry.
“They don’t need any
previous knowledge or
expertise. Volunteers are not
counsellors, They are
community members who
want to support others.”
Applicants must fill in a
form and go through an
interview process. Of those
who sign on 75 per cent are
chosen for training and they
must give a commitment of
one year. They will work two
to three shifts of the 320 shifts
per month. “Ideally we try to
have eight volunteers working
a day with two for the north
and two for the south, then the
central ones can be used on
both sides of the county.
On weekdays the shift at 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. and the reverse.
Weekends are 12-hour shifts
beginning at 8 a.m.
Volunteers are on-call
during their shift. “They don’t
have to be in the office, just
able to respond if the pager
goes off.”
The response time is to be
within half an hour. As soon
as the pager goes off, a
volunteer is dispatched to thescene. Working in teams oftwo, they rendezvous at anarranged point then travel andstay together.
The volunteers’ movements
are tracked for safety reasons
through a system of pages.
In addition to the front-line
work, volunteers need to
attend one monthly meeting
for education and de-briefing.
The demographic is broad.
“We have male and female
volunteers ranging in age
from 18-65 and including
everyone from retired farmers
to university students.
To be eligible you must be
18 with a driver’s licence and
access to a vehicle. You will
need to have a police check
done and feel confident you
can handle a crisis situation,
said Dorey.
Most importantly, “you
must want to give back to
your community.”
“Volunteers have said that
working with Victim Services
is one of the most rewarding
volunteer experiences they’ve
had.”
Dorey said there is a
consistency to the volunteer
roster aided in part, she
thinks, because tragedy
unfortunately, never takes a
break. “We’re busy, so they
really have a sense of being
able to give back and see
results.”
Not tangible results,
perhaps, but in the
satisfaction of having done
something worthwhile. “A
study was done that indicated
people who have experienced
a traumatic event by
themselves, found the hardestthing was being alone.Having someone to show up,who cares is some comfort.”Check the website at
www.victimserviceshuron.ca for
more information, call 519-524-
4108 for assistance or e-mail
shelley@victim.serviceshuron.ca
Victim Services lends support in tragedy
The long proud history of
4-H pork clubs in Huron
County may end if new
members aren’t found.
Club leaders from the pork
club pleaded with members
attending the annual meeting
of the Huron County Pork
Producers Association to help
find new members to keep the
club going.
Barb Storey noted that in
1963 there were 80 members
of the club. By 1990 the
number had dropped to 10-
12. Last year there were eight
members with only two
showing their own pigs, she
said (Clinton-area producer
Jack Kroes provided pigs for
the rest).
So far this year there are
only two members indicating
interest, Storey said. “We
encourage you to tell your
neighbours,” she said. “We
should have six members to
have a club.
Part of the decline has
come due to fears about
biosecurity on farms. Part of
this has been overcome by
not having 4-H members
visiting farms anymore said
Darrell Bergsma.
‘We stress the
importance of
having options
to regain that
control’
Important Notice
to Employers
Supporting Students:
Serving Communities
Canada Summer Jobs is an initiative of the Summer
:RUN([SHULHQFHSURJUDP,WSURYLGHVIXQGLQJIRUQRWIRUSUR¿W
organizations, public-sector employers, and small businesses with
50 or fewer employees to create work experiences for students between
the ages of 15 and 30.
If you are an eligible employer, we invite you to submit your application
between February 1 and February 29, 2008.
Application forms are available online, through the Youth Info Line at
1-800-935-5555, or at any Service Canada Centre.
Applications can be submitted online, by mail, by fax, or in person at any
Service Canada Centre.
For more information:
Call 1-800-935-5555 (TTY: 1-800-926-9105)
Click servicecanada.ca
Visit a Service Canada Centre
Support
Victim Services support people who have experienced tragedy and provide calm guidance through the
darkness. From left: Shelley Dorey, executive director; Lisa Boyd, team leader and Rachel Lynn, volunteer
co-ordinator. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
4-H needs
members