Local crime survivors gather for healing vigil
HOLT, Mich. (WLNS) — Emotional stories from crime survivors are helping to support other victims in their healing process.
Advocates gathered for a vigil in Holt on Saturday. As people across the country mark National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victims and survivors in the Lansing area are looking to advance their healing process, while also calling for change.
Stories of gun violence, sexual assault, and other traumas echoed around Rivers of Life Church, where the Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice group said mid-Michigan is one of many areas looking for a change.
Priscilla Bordayo is one of the organizers of Saturday’s event. She said the program is a chance for people to share their experiences and elevate their voices.
Bordayo added that you can’t make meaningful changes in these areas without speaking up.
“Legislation is super important to the work that we do at CSSJ,” Bordayo said. “The biggest thing is that we respect our legislators, but we don’t want legislators creating laws without incIuding our voices as victims and survivors. I am a victim and survivor myself, and it’s super important that people know that we are fully capable of speaking for ourselves.”
CSSJ is a nationwide network of crime survivors who have joined together to create healing communities and shape public safety policy. Officials said the network has more than 180,000 members and is growing.
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