Victim services agency aims to provide support
Being a victim of crime can be overwhelming, confusing, frustrating, and it can be difficult to know where to turn. In stressful times, having an agency in Meadow Lake such as Gateway Regional Victim Services (GRVS) is good to know.
The organization, based at the local RCMP detachment, is part of a regional network, which stretches from Big River to Wakaw. In Meadow Lake, there is an assistant coordinator and a handful of volunteers who offer support, information, and advocacy for victims of crime and traumatic events. This can include anything from property theft and vehicle collisions to assault or even sudden death. They support individuals in Loon Lake, Green Lake, Pierceland and smaller communities in between. The group of volunteers are mostly based in Meadow Lake and work on an on-call rotation.
Jillian Doucet has been the assistant coordinator in the city since April but was a volunteer for over seven years prior. She and her colleagues in Meadow Lake are an approachable, compassionate, non-judgemental group, she said, who will listen to the people they help and stand in their corner.
“We bridge the gap between the individual and the resources they need to get through the criminal justice process as well as the healing process,” Doucet said. “We can refer them to counsellors, or any sort of organizations that are appropriate depending on the situation. This is a safe place.”