KC Counts speaks with Director of Prevention Programs, Krysta Montez, about how the sexual assault recovery services nonprofit is helping connect Young Park victims with help, including financial aid, and more, including activities for Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Month. You can listen to the full interview by clicking the "listen" button above. Here is a portion of their conversation:
KC:
I want to start with how LA Pinon is responding to the tragic incident at Young Park. How is your organization helping the community to come together and start the healing process?
Krysta:
Absolutely. So LA Pinon again, we are the sexual assault recovery services for Southern New Mexico. And with that, we're all trained advocates. And so we are providing advocacy to those victims who were affected by connecting them to resources and also to in the state of New Mexico, there is compensation. Available through what we call CVRC, and again we're helping to connect those victims to those resources and services.
KC:
Tell us about who that person might be.
Krysta:
So CVRC is crime victim reparation commission with them they provide funds to victims of crime throughout New Mexico. It is an application process. They do have to apply for those funds, but again, they're there for anyone who was there during the incident who may be seeking compensation for maybe they had to get off of work, or maybe they're having to stay with a family member who's in El Paso and they're needing a hotel, things like that.
KC:
What do you think are the most important things for people who either were have loved ones who died or were? Injured or even those who are just suffering trauma from the event. What do you think are the most important things for them to?
Krysta:
Be doing, I think, definitely looking to your community, to your support system, definitely and knowing that your community is behind you here to support you through it, and you're not alone in these situations, even when they can feel lonely.
KC:
And I think sometimes in the immediate aftermath of something like this, it is a bit head spinning. Yeah. And the time comes, maybe even weeks or months later, that someone really will take the time to start asking if they need help. What do you recommend people do when they when they do start thinking about that?
Krysta:
Yeah, absolutely. Please reach out for services. There's a lot of people in our community, lot of different service providers available of course, reach out to the advocates at LCPD. You can always reach out to us at La Pinon as well we can definitely connect you.
