Victim support group might close if funding isn't secured
Further to the loss of funding for the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (www.crcvc.ca), I wrote an opinion-editorial letter. While it didn't get published as a letter, I did get a call and this story was published:
Victim support group might close if funding isn't secured
An Ottawa woman whose sister was murdered wants the federal government to equalize funding for groups that support victims and criminals.
Carolyn Gardner said it’s unfair that groups serving offenders receive the bulk of a $1.8 million Public Safety Canada program, which offers grants to criminal justice organizations.
“Where’s the balance? I’m not seeing it,” said Gardner, whose sister, Sheryl, was beaten to death in her Toronto apartment in 1981.
Gardner made the comments Friday as an Ottawa-based victims group warned it will not
survive unless it gets a new injection of financing
The Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, which works primarily on behalf of the families of murder victims, has announced it will have to close unless it secures a financial lifeline.“For me and my family, the resource centre has been incredible at helping us understand the parole process,” said Gardner, who is fighting to keep her sister’s murderer, Ralph Power, in prison.
Power, impersonating a telephone repairman, entered 20-year-old Sheryl Gardner’s apartment and killed her with a hammer. Born in Gananoque, Gardner had moved to Toronto to pursue a modeling career.
The resource centre, Carolyn Gardner said, has helped her understand that she can play an active role in the parole system: “They’re just an amazing organization and I don’t know what I’m going to do if they don’t get funding; I don’t know where else I’m supposed to go for help.”
The financial crisis at the resource centre was precipitated by the Canadian Police Association’s decision to suspend its $92,000 annual contribution to the group because of its own cash crunch. The police association has had to lay off staff this year and cut costs to deal with a drop in its revenues, said president Charles Momy.
The association launched the crime victims’ resource centre in 1993 and has remained its primary sponsor.
Momy said the association still supports the centre’s work, but can’t afford it anymore. “The resource centre is about assisting the victims of crime through the justice process right through to parole hearings,” he said. “We want to see it continue.”
Heidi Illingworth, director of the crime victims’ resource centre, said it has enough money to operate until the end of the year.
The association has recently sent emergency appeals to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan. In those letters, the centre notes that its annual operating budget — just over $100,000 — is roughly the cost of incarcerating a maximum security offender for one year.
The resource centre now receives $19,000 from the Public Safety Canada’s sustaining funding program, which sends more than $1 million to groups that assist criminal offenders. “We feel there is an imbalance,” said Illingworth. “The services we provide victims of violent crime should be deemed just as important as the services provided offenders coming back in to society".
“We know they’re doing good work, important work, but the voice we provide victims of crime is equally important.”
The centre offers assistance to about 200 crime victims a year.
Victim support group might close if funding isn't secured
An Ottawa woman whose sister was murdered wants the federal government to equalize funding for groups that support victims and criminals.
Carolyn Gardner said it’s unfair that groups serving offenders receive the bulk of a $1.8 million Public Safety Canada program, which offers grants to criminal justice organizations.
“Where’s the balance? I’m not seeing it,” said Gardner, whose sister, Sheryl, was beaten to death in her Toronto apartment in 1981.
Gardner made the comments Friday as an Ottawa-based victims group warned it will not
survive unless it gets a new injection of financing
The Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, which works primarily on behalf of the families of murder victims, has announced it will have to close unless it secures a financial lifeline.“For me and my family, the resource centre has been incredible at helping us understand the parole process,” said Gardner, who is fighting to keep her sister’s murderer, Ralph Power, in prison.
Power, impersonating a telephone repairman, entered 20-year-old Sheryl Gardner’s apartment and killed her with a hammer. Born in Gananoque, Gardner had moved to Toronto to pursue a modeling career.
The resource centre, Carolyn Gardner said, has helped her understand that she can play an active role in the parole system: “They’re just an amazing organization and I don’t know what I’m going to do if they don’t get funding; I don’t know where else I’m supposed to go for help.”
The financial crisis at the resource centre was precipitated by the Canadian Police Association’s decision to suspend its $92,000 annual contribution to the group because of its own cash crunch. The police association has had to lay off staff this year and cut costs to deal with a drop in its revenues, said president Charles Momy.
The association launched the crime victims’ resource centre in 1993 and has remained its primary sponsor.
Momy said the association still supports the centre’s work, but can’t afford it anymore. “The resource centre is about assisting the victims of crime through the justice process right through to parole hearings,” he said. “We want to see it continue.”
Heidi Illingworth, director of the crime victims’ resource centre, said it has enough money to operate until the end of the year.
The association has recently sent emergency appeals to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan. In those letters, the centre notes that its annual operating budget — just over $100,000 — is roughly the cost of incarcerating a maximum security offender for one year.
The resource centre now receives $19,000 from the Public Safety Canada’s sustaining funding program, which sends more than $1 million to groups that assist criminal offenders. “We feel there is an imbalance,” said Illingworth. “The services we provide victims of violent crime should be deemed just as important as the services provided offenders coming back in to society".
“We know they’re doing good work, important work, but the voice we provide victims of crime is equally important.”
The centre offers assistance to about 200 crime victims a year.
posted by Carolyn Gardner at 7:43 a.m. 0 comments 
