October 27, 2023 • 18 mins
In a profoundly moving episode, we sit down with Vanessa Martinez, an Arizonian survivor leader who turned tragedy into advocacy. Vanessa opens up about the harrowing day she suffered a gunshot wound to the head in a domestic violence incident that was tragically witnessed by one of her children. As she grappled with the physical and emotional aftermath, an already dire situation was made worse by a system that denied her victim compensation due to an old unpaid fine. Despite these insurmountable challenges, Vanessa's story is also one of resilience, community support, and recovery. Through the rallying of her community, she reclaimed her life, her children, and her home. This episode is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the imperative need for a justice system that truly supports survivors.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
- Oh man, Crime Survivorsfor Safety and Justice
are just simply amazing.
They have helped me find my voice
and be able to use itfor the greater good.
I know I'm here for a reason.
It is a 5% chance to survivea bullet to the head,
and I know that my story canand will change many lives.
(00:21):
And if I can change even just one,
then that's a win for me.
(upbeat music)
- Welcome to the "CrimeSurvivors Speak" podcast.
My name is Aswad Thomas.
I'm the national director
of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
We are a national network
of 185,000 victims ofcrime across the country.
(00:42):
If you haven't already subscribed,
to stay up to date on thelatest episodes of the podcast
you can do that on YouTube,Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
and other streaming services
by clicking on the link orthe caption in this post.
Today I am honored to welcome
an incredible survivor leader from Arizona
who has turned her paininto a powerful purpose.
(01:06):
Vanessa Martinez advocates
on behalf of otherdomestic violence survivors
and is working toimprove systemic barriers
to victim compensation and victim services
in the state of Arizona.
I know the strength andresiliency of Vanessa's story
will be an inspiration toeveryone listening today,
and we're so excited tospeak with you today.
Vanessa, I wanna startwith your advocacy work.
(01:29):
Just a few months ago,you spoke so powerfully
at our 2023 Survivors SpeakArizona event in Phoenix,
and you recently attended theCSSJ Arizona Policy Retreat
with other leaders from across the state
to discuss potentialpolicies to work on in 2024.
Vanessa, starting with yourwork at Survivors Speak,
(01:50):
what was that experience like for you
speaking at the Capitol with survivors,
legislators, and the media?
- Oh my goodness, SurvivorsSpeak was simply amazing.
It was a powerful day.
We actually spoke to legislators,
we spoke to the community aboutour trauma recovery pilot,
(02:12):
and we were actually able to be approved
for a trauma recoverypilot here in Arizona.
So that was an amazing dayand I can't wait for 2024,
as well as for our Policy Retreat.
That was amazing as well.
That was such an amazing experience.
We were actually even able
to present our own lawat the Policy Retreat.
(02:35):
I actually came up with Vanessa's Law,
automatic severance of parental rights
when a parent causes afelony crime on the other.
- Wow, so just incredible to hear
the impact of survivors.
So Survivors Speak, wewere there at the Capitol
to advocate for thingslike trauma recovery.
Thanks to your advocacy,
(02:55):
you were all able toget $7 million in TRCs,
established the first traumarecovery center in the state.
A huge congratulations to you, Vanessa,
for being an advocate
and helping to advocate formore services and resources.
Vanessa, I want to talk a little bit more
about your personal experience.
Would you tell us aboutyour survivor experience
(03:18):
that helped brought you
to Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice?
I know it's not easy totell our own survivor story,
so we welcome you to share
as much of your story asyou're comfortable with.
- Thank you, Aswad.
For sure.
I'm Vanessa Martinez.(thoughtful music)
I'm a gun violence and adomestic violence survivor.
I survived being shot in the head by my ex
(03:39):
on September 11th, 2021.
"If I can't have you, no one can,"
were his last words to mebefore pulling the trigger
and putting a nine-millimeterbullet through my head
just below my right temple lobe.
After realizing what he had done,
my ex called 911 thenescaped through my attic,
(03:59):
making his way to the neighbors,
who he of course knewand would get high with,
and who was actually theman who sold him the gun.
It actually took Mesa PD 7hours and 27 gas bombs later
to locate their perpetrator,
underneath the neighbor's sink,
destroying and demolishingeverything in my home.
(04:22):
My children and I lost everything.
After fighting for my life,
I wasn't even preparedfor the next battles
and traumatic rollercoasterthe system would send me on.
I was promised 30 years of peace
due to my ex being on intenseprobation at the time.
His charges should havebeen ran consecutively.
(04:42):
Instead, the judge ranthem all concurrent,
and 15 years was givenfor nearly taking my life.
With good time, he'll be out in 10.
Not only did I have to fight for my life,
but I had to fight for mychildren for over a year,
having to prove I was cognitive, stable,
(05:03):
and able to be a mother.
But I also had to fight
to not allow visitationbetween my children
and the man they witnessedshoot me in the head.
I can honestly say thatvictims' compensation,
due to unrelated past fines
and not receiving anyfinancial help whatsoever,
(05:25):
was the most painful let down of all.
I'm not perfect,
and having a couple misdemeanor fines
shouldn't stop me fromreceiving the help and funds
that are allocated forsituations such as mine.
I was forced to work 11 months
after being shot in the head
and four months after skullreconstructive surgery,
(05:47):
where 4 plates and 10screws now replace my skull.
I have yet to receive the rest needed
to make a full recovery,
but that doesn't stopme from using my voice
and speaking my truth.
- Thank you, Vanessa,for sharing your story
of being a survivor of domestic violence,
also a survivor of gun violence.
(06:09):
I know how challengingit can be physically
and also emotionally to bea survivor of gun violence.
You mentioned something
that I don't think many people know about.
You talked about being denied access
to the state's victimcompensation program,
which is designed to help crime victims
(06:31):
get access to support.
So did I hear that right,
that you were denied victim compensation
because of previous fines andfees that you may have had?
Is that correct?
- Yes, sir.
They were actually over a decade old.
- Wow, so over a decade ofyou owing a fine and fees
and when you became a victim,
(06:51):
you were denied compensation.
Vanessa, what was that like for you,
whether to read that denial letter
or to be told that as avictim, as a survivor,
that you will not be able toaccess victim compensation
to help with, like, mental health,
to help with accessing servicesfor you and your family?
(serene music)
(07:11):
- That letter,
the feeling of hopeless and helplessness,
I can still feel it now.
Having to fight for mychildren and not having a home,
I had to have a home for mychildren to come home to.
Being denied victims'compensation was supposed to help.
(07:35):
It was supposed toallow me the rest needed
for an injury such as mine.
To not be able to receive
what is allocated forsurvivors like myself
was one of the most painfulletters I ever had to read.
I had to focus and we hadto put together fundraisers,
(07:59):
food fundraisers, GoFundMes.
I had to rely on mycommunity for the help.
If it wasn't for my community,
I wouldn't have had the money
to be able to purchase my home.
And if I wouldn't have had a home,
where would my children be?
So at the time, that mycommunity had to come together,
(08:22):
that was amazing,
but when I should have received the help
and been stress-free,
especially at a time where Ishould have been stress-free
due to my brain injury,
that was the hardestthing I had to go through
after being shot in the head.
(08:42):
- Vanessa, thank you for your courage
to share your story with us,
and thank you for your advocacy as well.
So as a survivor who wasdenied victim compensation,
you're now now working to change
Arizona's victim compensation program.
So some of the policies that I've heard
that you all will be working on in Arizona
(09:04):
is to remove time limits
that prevent survivors fromaccessing compensation.
You also mentioned what you went through
in your experience of havingunpaid fines and fees,
that you're now working to help advocate
for changes in the victimcompensation program,
to remove that exclusion,
and also to ensure thatsurvivors in households
(09:25):
will be able to access victimcompensation program as well.
So out of your direct discourse,
now you're working to change a program
that hasn't helped so many survivors.
So, Vanessa, I want to talk a little bit,
I know this all too well asa victim of gun violence,
and having to deal what we went through,
for many of us, justice looks different.
(09:47):
I would love to hear,
at this point in yourhealing and recovery,
what does justice mean to you?
- Justice to me means peace.
Peace for the victim,peace for the survivors.
And on the other standpoint,
I believe that justiceis removal of barriers,
(10:07):
as you said, for victims and survivors.
Justice is more trauma-informed policies.
Victims need to be treated as victims.
And again, the barriers need to be lifted
that prevent victims like myselffrom receiving assistance.
(10:29):
- Thank you, Vanessa.
And justice looks differentfrom everyone, right?
So also I heard you talk about
that not all scars are visible.
I think that is something thatall survivors can understand.
Would love to hear,
what has helped youheal some of those scars
and what continues to motivateyou on your road to recovery?
(10:55):
- Prayer.
Prayer is legit my go for for everything.
My faith, my family, and therapy
have been major in my healing journey.
And what keeps me going is my voice,
is advocacy, is knowingthat we are not done
and we have a long wayto go to heal Arizona.
(11:20):
- Elevating our voices are critical.
Vanessa, I don't think Iasked you this question,
but I want to do that now.
What made you decide
to be part of Crime Survivorsfor Safety and Justice
and what has that meant to you?
(mellow music)
- Oh, man.
Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice
(11:40):
are just simply amazing.
They have helped me find my voice
and be able to use itfor the greater good.
I know I'm here for a reason.
It is a 5% chance to survivea bullet to the head,
and I know that my story canand will change many lives.
And if I can change even just one,
(12:00):
then that's a win for me.
- When survivors speak, change happens.
Vanessa, I want to talk a little bit more
about your experience as a survivor
and the impact that had on your children.
So you were denied victims' compensation.
Were there any services orresources to help your children,
(12:23):
who were also victims
of that experience that you went through?
- Services offered through my children
were honestly offered through DCS.
And my son did just recentlygraduate from therapy.
He was the one who actually witnessed
his father shoot me in the head.
(12:43):
He followed me out the housethat day on September 11th
and actually told policeofficers, "My daddy shot my mama."
Honestly, as horrible as it may sound,
if it wasn't for DCS,
I wouldn't have beenable to have the funds
for us to receive any therapy.
It took me a year and ahalf after the incident
to be able to start receiving therapy.
(13:08):
And as for my children,
they are doing well at the moment.
They do have a lot of questions.
Again, like I said, my sondid just graduate therapy.
He's doing amazing.
He's very strong.
But this situation haschanged us all forever.
- Thank you, Vanessa,
and congratulations to your sonfor graduating from therapy,
(13:33):
which is just a hugeresource for survivors
and families as well toget access to services.
So, Vanessa, you have helped to bring
the first trauma recoverycenter to the state of Arizona.
You're now working to help change
the state's victim compensation program
to better support survivors.
(13:55):
So, Vanessa, if you had a magic wand,
if there was a policythat you would like to see
to better support crime survivors
and their families to access help,
what would that policy be?
- Oh, goodness.
There's so many that needto be changed, honestly.
But I would honestly saythe victims' compensation.
(14:19):
Arizona victims' compensation
is actually tied up with ACJC,
who are actually the ones who denied
the victims' compensation.
And I would like ACJC to be out,
because they are not helping survivors
or victims whatsoever.
Their barriers need to be lifted.
(14:40):
And so if anything,
I would like that policy to be reformed.
- So if you are a survivorthat's out there listening,
every state have a victims'compensation program
that's designed to help survivors heal
and recover from violence.
Things like mental health services,
changing locks on doors,helping relocation,
(15:03):
helping with funeral and burial expenses,
helping with lost wagesas a result of violence.
So every state have avictim compensation program,
but what we heard from Vanessa,
we heard from so many guests,
is that there are significant barriers
to accessing the programs.
I mean, this is gonna be a shock
to many of our listeners out there,
but in states like Arizona,
(15:23):
in order to be eligible for thevictim compensation program,
you must report a crime to lawenforcement within 72 hours.
In addition to that,
you have only two yearsto apply for the program.
So that's a barrier in states like Arizona
(15:46):
and so many across the country.
But Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice
and leaders like Vanessa
are working to extendthat two-year deadline
to up to seven years as well.
And you are changing so many lives.
For those who are listening today,
just the impact that you will have on them
to help them recover.
(16:06):
Also to help them toget involved in advocacy
to help change policies.
Vanessa, we have thousands of survivors
that may be listening to today's podcast
from across the country,if not across the world.
Do you have any words ofencouragement or support
that you'd like to offer tosurvivors who are listening,
(16:27):
especially those whohave maybe gone through
something similar to your experiences?
- Of course.
I'd like to tell themthat they're not alone.
I understand and know firsthandhow lonely times may feel,
but this too shall pass.
Remember to just be gentle with yourself.
(16:48):
Take your time.
And when you're ready to use your voice
for the greater good,
your Crime Survivors forSafety and Justice family
will be there with youevery step of the way.
- So if you are in Arizona
and want to join Vanessaand join other survivors,
go to the website at www.cssj.org
(17:09):
and go down to Arizona to become a member
and join Vanessa andother survivors' fight
in helping to reform thevictims' compensation program.
Vanessa, I want to thank youso much for your strength,
your courage, yourleadership, your advocacy,
and for being a voicefor all crime survivors.
(17:33):
So, Vanessa, thank you so muchfor joining today's episode
of the "Crime Survivors Speak" podcast.
Once again, to become a member
of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice,
visit the website at www.cssj.org
to join a local chapter near you,
or you can be part ofour national network.
(17:53):
Remember, you can tuneinto all podcast episodes
on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
and other streaming platforms.
At Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice,
we are healing through action,
and when survivors speak, change happens.
Thank you so much for tuning in,
and we'll talk to you soon.
(upbeat music)
(18:15):
(music fades)
- Oh man, Crime Survivorsfor Safety and Justice
are just simply amazing.
They have helped me find my voice
and be able to use itfor the greater good.
I know I'm here for a reason.
It is a 5% chance to survivea bullet to the head,
and I know that my story canand will change many lives.
(00:21):
And if I can change even just one,
then that's a win for me.
(upbeat music)
- Welcome to the "CrimeSurvivors Speak" podcast.
My name is Aswad Thomas.
I'm the national director
of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice.
We are a national network
of 185,000 victims ofcrime across the country.
(00:42):
If you haven't already subscribed,
to stay up to date on thelatest episodes of the podcast
you can do that on YouTube,Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
and other streaming services
by clicking on the link orthe caption in this post.
Today I am honored to welcome
an incredible survivor leader from Arizona
who has turned her paininto a powerful purpose.
(01:06):
Vanessa Martinez advocates
on behalf of otherdomestic violence survivors
and is working toimprove systemic barriers
to victim compensation and victim services
in the state of Arizona.
I know the strength andresiliency of Vanessa's story
will be an inspiration toeveryone listening today,
and we're so excited tospeak with you today.
Vanessa, I wanna startwith your advocacy work.
(01:29):
Just a few months ago,you spoke so powerfully
at our 2023 Survivors SpeakArizona event in Phoenix,
and you recently attended theCSSJ Arizona Policy Retreat
with other leaders from across the state
to discuss potentialpolicies to work on in 2024.
Vanessa, starting with yourwork at Survivors Speak,
(01:50):
what was that experience like for you
speaking at the Capitol with survivors,
legislators, and the media?
- Oh my goodness, SurvivorsSpeak was simply amazing.
It was a powerful day.
We actually spoke to legislators,
we spoke to the community aboutour trauma recovery pilot,
(02:12):
and we were actually able to be approved
for a trauma recoverypilot here in Arizona.
So that was an amazing dayand I can't wait for 2024,
as well as for our Policy Retreat.
That was amazing as well.
That was such an amazing experience.
We were actually even able
to present our own lawat the Policy Retreat.
(02:35):
I actually came up with Vanessa's Law,
automatic severance of parental rights
when a parent causes afelony crime on the other.
- Wow, so just incredible to hear
the impact of survivors.
So Survivors Speak, wewere there at the Capitol
to advocate for thingslike trauma recovery.
Thanks to your advocacy,
(02:55):
you were all able toget $7 million in TRCs,
established the first traumarecovery center in the state.
A huge congratulations to you, Vanessa,
for being an advocate
and helping to advocate formore services and resources.
Vanessa, I want to talk a little bit more
about your personal experience.
Would you tell us aboutyour survivor experience
(03:18):
that helped brought you
to Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice?
I know it's not easy totell our own survivor story,
so we welcome you to share
as much of your story asyou're comfortable with.
- Thank you, Aswad.
For sure.
I'm Vanessa Martinez.(thoughtful music)
I'm a gun violence and adomestic violence survivor.
I survived being shot in the head by my ex
(03:39):
on September 11th, 2021.
"If I can't have you, no one can,"
were his last words to mebefore pulling the trigger
and putting a nine-millimeterbullet through my head
just below my right temple lobe.
After realizing what he had done,
my ex called 911 thenescaped through my attic,
(03:59):
making his way to the neighbors,
who he of course knewand would get high with,
and who was actually theman who sold him the gun.
It actually took Mesa PD 7hours and 27 gas bombs later
to locate their perpetrator,
underneath the neighbor's sink,
destroying and demolishingeverything in my home.
(04:22):
My children and I lost everything.
After fighting for my life,
I wasn't even preparedfor the next battles
and traumatic rollercoasterthe system would send me on.
I was promised 30 years of peace
due to my ex being on intenseprobation at the time.
His charges should havebeen ran consecutively.
(04:42):
Instead, the judge ranthem all concurrent,
and 15 years was givenfor nearly taking my life.
With good time, he'll be out in 10.
Not only did I have to fight for my life,
but I had to fight for mychildren for over a year,
having to prove I was cognitive, stable,
(05:03):
and able to be a mother.
But I also had to fight
to not allow visitationbetween my children
and the man they witnessedshoot me in the head.
I can honestly say thatvictims' compensation,
due to unrelated past fines
and not receiving anyfinancial help whatsoever,
(05:25):
was the most painful let down of all.
I'm not perfect,
and having a couple misdemeanor fines
shouldn't stop me fromreceiving the help and funds
that are allocated forsituations such as mine.
I was forced to work 11 months
after being shot in the head
and four months after skullreconstructive surgery,
(05:47):
where 4 plates and 10screws now replace my skull.
I have yet to receive the rest needed
to make a full recovery,
but that doesn't stopme from using my voice
and speaking my truth.
- Thank you, Vanessa,for sharing your story
of being a survivor of domestic violence,
also a survivor of gun violence.
(06:09):
I know how challengingit can be physically
and also emotionally to bea survivor of gun violence.
You mentioned something
that I don't think many people know about.
You talked about being denied access
to the state's victimcompensation program,
which is designed to help crime victims
(06:31):
get access to support.
So did I hear that right,
that you were denied victim compensation
because of previous fines andfees that you may have had?
Is that correct?
- Yes, sir.
They were actually over a decade old.
- Wow, so over a decade ofyou owing a fine and fees
and when you became a victim,
(06:51):
you were denied compensation.
Vanessa, what was that like for you,
whether to read that denial letter
or to be told that as avictim, as a survivor,
that you will not be able toaccess victim compensation
to help with, like, mental health,
to help with accessing servicesfor you and your family?
(serene music)
(07:11):
- That letter,
the feeling of hopeless and helplessness,
I can still feel it now.
Having to fight for mychildren and not having a home,
I had to have a home for mychildren to come home to.
Being denied victims'compensation was supposed to help.
(07:35):
It was supposed toallow me the rest needed
for an injury such as mine.
To not be able to receive
what is allocated forsurvivors like myself
was one of the most painfulletters I ever had to read.
I had to focus and we hadto put together fundraisers,
(07:59):
food fundraisers, GoFundMes.
I had to rely on mycommunity for the help.
If it wasn't for my community,
I wouldn't have had the money
to be able to purchase my home.
And if I wouldn't have had a home,
where would my children be?
So at the time, that mycommunity had to come together,
(08:22):
that was amazing,
but when I should have received the help
and been stress-free,
especially at a time where Ishould have been stress-free
due to my brain injury,
that was the hardestthing I had to go through
after being shot in the head.
(08:42):
- Vanessa, thank you for your courage
to share your story with us,
and thank you for your advocacy as well.
So as a survivor who wasdenied victim compensation,
you're now now working to change
Arizona's victim compensation program.
So some of the policies that I've heard
that you all will be working on in Arizona
(09:04):
is to remove time limits
that prevent survivors fromaccessing compensation.
You also mentioned what you went through
in your experience of havingunpaid fines and fees,
that you're now working to help advocate
for changes in the victimcompensation program,
to remove that exclusion,
and also to ensure thatsurvivors in households
(09:25):
will be able to access victimcompensation program as well.
So out of your direct discourse,
now you're working to change a program
that hasn't helped so many survivors.
So, Vanessa, I want to talk a little bit,
I know this all too well asa victim of gun violence,
and having to deal what we went through,
for many of us, justice looks different.
(09:47):
I would love to hear,
at this point in yourhealing and recovery,
what does justice mean to you?
- Justice to me means peace.
Peace for the victim,peace for the survivors.
And on the other standpoint,
I believe that justiceis removal of barriers,
(10:07):
as you said, for victims and survivors.
Justice is more trauma-informed policies.
Victims need to be treated as victims.
And again, the barriers need to be lifted
that prevent victims like myselffrom receiving assistance.
(10:29):
- Thank you, Vanessa.
And justice looks differentfrom everyone, right?
So also I heard you talk about
that not all scars are visible.
I think that is something thatall survivors can understand.
Would love to hear,
what has helped youheal some of those scars
and what continues to motivateyou on your road to recovery?
(10:55):
- Prayer.
Prayer is legit my go for for everything.
My faith, my family, and therapy
have been major in my healing journey.
And what keeps me going is my voice,
is advocacy, is knowingthat we are not done
and we have a long wayto go to heal Arizona.
(11:20):
- Elevating our voices are critical.
Vanessa, I don't think Iasked you this question,
but I want to do that now.
What made you decide
to be part of Crime Survivorsfor Safety and Justice
and what has that meant to you?
(mellow music)
- Oh, man.
Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice
(11:40):
are just simply amazing.
They have helped me find my voice
and be able to use itfor the greater good.
I know I'm here for a reason.
It is a 5% chance to survivea bullet to the head,
and I know that my story canand will change many lives.
And if I can change even just one,
(12:00):
then that's a win for me.
- When survivors speak, change happens.
Vanessa, I want to talk a little bit more
about your experience as a survivor
and the impact that had on your children.
So you were denied victims' compensation.
Were there any services orresources to help your children,
(12:23):
who were also victims
of that experience that you went through?
- Services offered through my children
were honestly offered through DCS.
And my son did just recentlygraduate from therapy.
He was the one who actually witnessed
his father shoot me in the head.
(12:43):
He followed me out the housethat day on September 11th
and actually told policeofficers, "My daddy shot my mama."
Honestly, as horrible as it may sound,
if it wasn't for DCS,
I wouldn't have beenable to have the funds
for us to receive any therapy.
It took me a year and ahalf after the incident
to be able to start receiving therapy.
(13:08):
And as for my children,
they are doing well at the moment.
They do have a lot of questions.
Again, like I said, my sondid just graduate therapy.
He's doing amazing.
He's very strong.
But this situation haschanged us all forever.
- Thank you, Vanessa,
and congratulations to your sonfor graduating from therapy,
(13:33):
which is just a hugeresource for survivors
and families as well toget access to services.
So, Vanessa, you have helped to bring
the first trauma recoverycenter to the state of Arizona.
You're now working to help change
the state's victim compensation program
to better support survivors.
(13:55):
So, Vanessa, if you had a magic wand,
if there was a policythat you would like to see
to better support crime survivors
and their families to access help,
what would that policy be?
- Oh, goodness.
There's so many that needto be changed, honestly.
But I would honestly saythe victims' compensation.
(14:19):
Arizona victims' compensation
is actually tied up with ACJC,
who are actually the ones who denied
the victims' compensation.
And I would like ACJC to be out,
because they are not helping survivors
or victims whatsoever.
Their barriers need to be lifted.
(14:40):
And so if anything,
I would like that policy to be reformed.
- So if you are a survivorthat's out there listening,
every state have a victims'compensation program
that's designed to help survivors heal
and recover from violence.
Things like mental health services,
changing locks on doors,helping relocation,
(15:03):
helping with funeral and burial expenses,
helping with lost wagesas a result of violence.
So every state have avictim compensation program,
but what we heard from Vanessa,
we heard from so many guests,
is that there are significant barriers
to accessing the programs.
I mean, this is gonna be a shock
to many of our listeners out there,
but in states like Arizona,
(15:23):
in order to be eligible for thevictim compensation program,
you must report a crime to lawenforcement within 72 hours.
In addition to that,
you have only two yearsto apply for the program.
So that's a barrier in states like Arizona
(15:46):
and so many across the country.
But Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice
and leaders like Vanessa
are working to extendthat two-year deadline
to up to seven years as well.
And you are changing so many lives.
For those who are listening today,
just the impact that you will have on them
to help them recover.
(16:06):
Also to help them toget involved in advocacy
to help change policies.
Vanessa, we have thousands of survivors
that may be listening to today's podcast
from across the country,if not across the world.
Do you have any words ofencouragement or support
that you'd like to offer tosurvivors who are listening,
(16:27):
especially those whohave maybe gone through
something similar to your experiences?
- Of course.
I'd like to tell themthat they're not alone.
I understand and know firsthandhow lonely times may feel,
but this too shall pass.
Remember to just be gentle with yourself.
(16:48):
Take your time.
And when you're ready to use your voice
for the greater good,
your Crime Survivors forSafety and Justice family
will be there with youevery step of the way.
- So if you are in Arizona
and want to join Vanessaand join other survivors,
go to the website at www.cssj.org
(17:09):
and go down to Arizona to become a member
and join Vanessa andother survivors' fight
in helping to reform thevictims' compensation program.
Vanessa, I want to thank youso much for your strength,
your courage, yourleadership, your advocacy,
and for being a voicefor all crime survivors.
(17:33):
So, Vanessa, thank you so muchfor joining today's episode
of the "Crime Survivors Speak" podcast.
Once again, to become a member
of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice,
visit the website at www.cssj.org
to join a local chapter near you,
or you can be part ofour national network.
(17:53):
Remember, you can tuneinto all podcast episodes
on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
and other streaming platforms.
At Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice,
we are healing through action,
and when survivors speak, change happens.
Thank you so much for tuning in,
and we'll talk to you soon.
(upbeat music)
(18:15):
(music fades)
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