Survivors of Homicide,
Inc. (SOH) was founded in 1983 by a small group of families who were trying to cope with the murder of a loved one that shattered their lives. They met to support each other and to share information
about an unfamiliar criminal justice system that existed not to provide support to grieving families, but to prosecute offenders.
As time went on the membership grew and our mission expanded. We became incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1987. In 1996, our membership was instrumental in our state constitution being amended to afford crime victims substantive rights to participate in our criminal justice system. We also started receiving funding from The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) which allowed us to hire a Victim Advocate.
We are outspoken advocates for all victims of violent crime, for fair compensation to victims, and for public policy
and understanding that reduces the senseless violence sweeping our communities. While our organization is based in Connecticut, we try to provide assistance to anyone who has lost a loved one
to homicide.
All our services are offered to our members free of charge. These include one-on-one counseling, support groups, court support throughout the judicial process, personal advocacy in
working with law enforcement and other community agencies, and planning and business meetings to further our advocacy and educational goals. We are here throughout your journey for however long you
need our support.
Survivors of Homicide provides equal services without regard to race, color, religious creed, age, sex, sexual
orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, developmental disability/mental retardation, learning disability, or physical
disability. If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex or religion
you may file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
Funding for our activities comes from donations from our members and friends, from a federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant administered through the Connecticut Office of Victim Services (OVS,)
and from Community Grant and Sponsorships.
|
Executive Board | |
President | Vice President | Treasurer and Secretary |
Jennifer Allis-Vazquez | Debbie Duncan | Diane Cassidy |
Board of Directors | ||
Alex Brink | Suzanne Wich | Andrew Reynolds |
Lavenita Smith | Nancy Gordon | Jennifer Shehadeh |