NW Victim Services to celebrate its 35th anniversary

Posted 11/2/16

by Kevin Dicciani

Food and festivities are in store for the 35th anniversary celebration of Northwest Victim Services, a nonprofit organization that offers support to individuals who have been …

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NW Victim Services to celebrate its 35th anniversary

Posted

by Kevin Dicciani

Food and festivities are in store for the 35th anniversary celebration of Northwest Victim Services, a nonprofit organization that offers support to individuals who have been impacted by crime.

The “Happy 35th Birthday” event will be hosted on Nov. 9 at the Chart House at Penn’s Landing by NVS and Hotties 4 Humanity, a social nonprofit group that supports individuals and families in need. The evening will feature appetizers, music, a cash bar, desserts, door prizes, gift bags, raffles and more. Anyone who wants to attend can purchase a ticket online.

“We are celebrating 35 years of service,” said Melany Nelson, executive director of NVS, speaking on Oct. 27 to the board of the Chestnut Hill Community Association. “It’s going to be a very fun, fun, fun event.”

Laura Lucas, president of the CHCA, said her organization is grateful to have a relationship with NVS and thankful for all the “wonderful things” it has done for the community. For the past several years the Chestnut Hill Community Fund has given funds from its public safety resources to NVS, and Lucas encouraged the community to continue to lend its support to NVS, just as NVS has done for the community.

“It’s a wonderful partnership that we’ve developed, and we’re really glad to have that,” Lucas said.

Nelson said NVS helps address the emotional, safety and financial needs of victims of crime in the 5th, 14th, 35th, and 39th Philadelphia Police Districts. She said the organization is very proactive and offers an array of services to people of all ages. Along with the work it does, she said their programs enable “victims to empower other victims.”

“All of our services are free,” Nelson said. “We help with unpaid medical bills, counseling, lost time from work, funeral expenses, and we also go to court with our victims.”

In addition to supporting the victims themselves, Nelson said NVS has programs in place to provide the victim’s immediate family, friends and coworkers a means to cope as well. The organization goes beyond just aiding victims of crime, too, she said, such as supplying the homeless with food and shelter. She said whoever is in need, NVS is there to help.

“We want to help the community as a whole,” she said.

Being proactive within the community is an important mission of NVS. Nelson said the organization looks to extend its reach to as many parts of the city as possible so that it can educate citizens about crime, a preventive measure she said it undertakes to combat the chances of becoming a victim in the future.

“We get out into the community to educate so we can lessen our chances of being a victim of a crime,” she said. “We can’t prevent it, but we can lessen our chances.”

The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Chart House, 555 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. Tickets are $30 a person through Nov. 8 and $35 at the door. They can be purchased online at shop.hotties4humanity.com/1-Tix-Nov-9th-Hotties-Hunks-Northwest-Victim-Services-NWVICT.htm.

Kevin Dicciani can be reached at 215-248-8819 or kevin@chestnuthilllocal.com.

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