Bookletts Place, The Talbot Senior Center, recently formed a partnership with the Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center (MCVRC) to offer free clinics for Mid-Shore residents of all ages who have been a victim of crime.
Attorney Colleen S. Jennings of MCVRC will present twice per month at Brookletts Place, beginning in February 2017, to meet with victims of crime. The next clinic is scheduled for Thursday, February 16, 2017 from 10 am to 2 pm at Brookletts Place and then will be held at the same time on the first and third Thursday of every month thereafter. Interested individuals wishing to attend the February 16th clinic or any clinic in the future should call the MCVRC at 301-952-0063 to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.
Separately, Jennings will conduct an overall presentation of the services that MCVRC provides at 12 pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at Brookletts Place. She will also meet with various community organizations to explain the program so that they can refer people to the program.
MCVRC began in 1982 as the sister organizations: the Stephanie Roper Committee, Inc. and the Stephanie Roper Foundation, Inc. following the brutal murder of Stephanie Roper. For over 34 years, MCVRC has advocated on behalf of crime victims fulfilling its mission, “to ensure that victims of crime receive justice and are treated with dignity and compassion through comprehensive victims’ rights and services.” MCVRC has fought for the passage of more than 85 victims’ rights legislation including the Maryland Constitutional Amendment and continues to advance victims’ rights. MCVRC has successfully administered the proposed description of services for many years to low-income, underserved populations within the Maryland communities and has used Language Line to provide of these services to non-English populations.
MCVRC is a national leader in victims’ rights and services and has formulated the best and proven practices for assisting crime victims patterned after the federal demonstration project led by the National Crime Victims Law Institute (NCVLI). In 2004, MCVRC assisted in the implementation of the Crime Victim’s Rights Act of the Justice for All, a federal law providing that victims now have the right to independent counsel in federal criminal cases. MCVRC has also been the recipient of several grant projects that target underserved populations including the Elder Justice Community Collaborations project administered by National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) for The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA).
Jennings is MCVRC’s attorney for the Mid and Lower shore, covering Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester, and Somerset Counties. Upon completing law school in 2003, she moved to the Lower Shore for a judicial clerkship and has been practicing law in the area since then. She will be assisting Talbot County victims of all ages at Brookletts Place – Talbot Senior Center. For further information about MCVRC, visit https://www.mdcrimevictims.org/help.
Brookletts Place Manager, Childlene Brooks says, “Talbot County residents who have been a victim of crime are highly fortunate to have this service now available to them. The MCVRC has identified various jurisdictions where trained staff can be located and services commenced quickly because of collaboration with local partners. The Eastern Shore is one such jurisdiction and Talbot County has Brookletts Place, which makes for a natural partnership.”
MCVRC’s regional expansion of services will serve all victim populations by providing wraparound services specializing in legal representation regarding representation of crime victims’ rights.
About Brookletts Place – Talbot Senior Center
Brookletts Place is dedicated to serving residents 60 years of age and older from all walks of life in Talbot and surrounding counties. Brookletts Place strives to create an environment where individuals can create, thrive and participate in lifelong learning that enhances their physical mental and emotional lives. To learn more, please visit www.brooklettsplace.org or call 410.822.2869.
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