Outreach Event In Newark Will Support Crime Victims

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the United Community Corporation. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

United Community Corporation will hold a free distribution event for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week on Saturday, April 24 at West Side Park in Newark from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event was made possible through funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to promote community awareness of crime victims’ rights and services during the 2021 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Thanks to the awarded funding, UCC will host the extensive Community Awareness Project event featuring informational booths detailing services specific to victims of crime and families in need, promotional item giveaways, free clothing, food and household item distributions, and guest speakers.

“Our mission is to improve the betterment of people’s lives in the City of Newark and Essex County,” UCC Board of Directors president John Jewell said. “When members of the community know that they need something, they know that they can turn to UCC. We never say no. We never say that we can’t. When you need to get something done, you call UCC because our staff and board are dedicated to do our mission.”

UCC is hosting a donation drive leading up to the event and is asking for small household appliances, clothing, bedding, home decor, books, toys, strollers, utensils, car seats, mugs, cooking sets, face masks, cleaning products and hand sanitizer. Anyone interested can drop off their donations at West Side Park or email donations@uccnewark.org to schedule a time for your donation to be picked up.

The event is being run in partnership with Amerigroup, Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Shani Baraka Women's Resource Center, Newark Community Solutions, Beauty for Ashes, Outrageous Outreach, Hope Bridges Us, and Girls, Live, Laugh and Love.

In addition to the distribution event capping off National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which runs from April 18-24, UCC will be including Victims of Crime informational pamphlets in its daily food distribution bags. UCC’s food pantry serves an average of 2,166 individuals weekly.

“I strongly believe that spreading awareness and services for victims of crime in Newark is vital to combat the fear that some residents have about reporting crimes that they were victims of because they are afraid of retaliation by the perpetrator or are undocumented,” UCC’s VOCA Supervisor David Baquerizo said. “Awareness is key to helping those who are afraid to report crimes in the community.”

The event is being run in honor of former UCC board secretary Pastor Veronice Horne, who passed away Nov. 9 of 2020. Horne had an esteemed career in charitable service and was also a board member for Goodwill Rescue Mission. In 2011, she founded her passion project, The Hands of a Woman Ministry Inc. - where she offered a hand up to women dealing with homelessness, addiction and abuse. With her memory at the forefront, UCC hopes this event can carry the same vigor and spirit that Horne displayed daily while serving populations of Newark in dire need of help.

“This was more than a mission for Pastor Horne. This was her drive and her force,” UCC Executive Director Craig Mainor said. “She was one of the most vocal advocates for women as survivors. She has an amazing story and one that everyone going through this should listen, read or try to relate to. I know that she would have been proud of this and I’m honored to do this in her name.”

First designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week increases general public awareness of, and knowledge about the wide range of rights and services available to people who have been victimized by crime. The theme for 2021 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Support Victims. Build Trust. Engaged Community.”

Since 2004, the NCVRW Community Awareness Project has provided financial and technical assistance to more than 1000 community projects that promote victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. United Community Corporation was one of the 106 recommended by NAVAA and selected for funding by OVC for 2021 from the 242 applications that were submitted nationwide.

“The funding from NAVAA through OVC allows us to make connections with Victims of Crime in-house and allows us to follow someone’s journey from being a victim to being a survivor,” Mainor said. “Being able to watch and help someone through their journey is always key so we thank NAVAA for allowing us to do so.”

For additional information about 2021 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities or about victims’ rights and services in the City of Newark and Essex County, please contact Baquerizo at david.baquerizo@uccnewark.org, by calling 973-621-8295, or visit our website at https://uccnewark.org/voca/. For information about national efforts to promote 2021 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, visit the Office for Victims of Crime website at www.ovc.gov.

The National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators is a non-profit organization that represents the 56 state agencies that distribute money from the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Crime Victims Fund to more than 4,000 direct victim assistance service providers. The money in the Crime Victims Fund comes from fines collected from offenders convicted of federal crimes and not from U.S. taxpayers.

United Community Corporation is the Community Action Agency for the City of Newark and Essex County since it was created in 1964. In addition to its events at West Side Park, United Community Corporation offers delivery services of up to 14 days worth of food to families in the City of Newark that have been forced to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure/contraction by way of its Champion House food pantry. For more information about that program contact Champion House manager Maria Torres at Maria.torres@uccnewark.org.

UCC also owns and operates the Fulton Street emergency shelter, which has operated 24-hours during the pandemic. UCC’s energy assistance program has ensured that families have heating, air conditioning and power, its youth programs have continued both virtually and in-person, and its housing assistance programs are prepared to help deal with an anticipated influx of evictions and crucial rental/mortgage assistance once the moratorium is lifted.

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