Crime victims and survivors in Philadelphia were honored at a gathering Saturday hosted by the local chapter of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. The event was held at the Common Place in southwest Philadelphia. This week, vigils are being held in cities across the country to mark National Crime Victims Rights Week. Yolanda Jennings is the Philadelphia coordinator for Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. For her, the mission of advocating for victims’ rights is deeply personal. “I am a survivor. I’m a survivor of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence. I also lost my sister to domestic violence. I also lost a cousin to domestic violence and then last year, my son was killed,” Jennings said. “I know what’s like to not know what to do, where to turn, not to have the resources available, not to know who to call.” The story of Jennings’ son Colin August Jennings caught widespread news coverage in Columbus, Ohio after police officers shot and killed the 26-year-old, who was having an apparent mental health crisis and wielding a large knife when officers approached him. The NBC affiliate WCMH reported that a grand jury declined to return an incident in November 2024 against the two officers involved. Being a survivor of domestic violence herself and having first-hand experience as a victim with the criminal justice system, Jennings said she’s turned her pain into power by offering support for families that are navigating the process. The organization’s areas of advocacy includes access to housing for victims, and employment challenges. “If they have to go and see a lawyer. If they have to go to court, we don’t want people to be penalized for those things,” she said. “I have talked to numerous people and most people do not know the process to apply for victim compensation. A lot of people don’t even know that it is available.” Education on victim compensation is one of the group’s major campaigns this year, Jennings said. At the gathering Saturday, victims and survivors were encouraged to share their stories. Cecelia Thompson of Philadelphia said she suffered physical and financial abuse by a family member, who was never formally charged. “We would just be in the car, and I would say something he didn’t want to hear…and I just get that back hand,” Thompson said. “It was financial, he would say he needed money for this, that, and the other. ‘I’ll give it back. I’ll give it back when I get this lump sum of money.’ When the lump sum came, I was like…‘Oh, can I get the money back because I need that money for my son’s therapy’. [His response] ‘What are you talking about?’” Thompson said the abuse lasted about a year until Women Against Abuse stepped in and offered shelter for her and her son. “I’m here for healing, still. I’m here to be supportive,” she said, referring to the event Saturday. “But if I do have a flashback, I’m good with it. I just wipe my tears and I just know…even though they’re not my family, I’m amongst family.” Rhonda Williams of Philadelphia shared her story Saturday for the first time. “God kept me at 18-years-old. I have never shared my story. A gun was pulled out on me at 18. I’m 60 now, and I’m still here,” Williams recalled. “It was one bullet in the gun at 18 years of age. He pulled the trigger, and it didn’t go off.” Williams said another time she faced physical abuse was about 7 years ago, when a family member assaulted her with a hammer. Jennings said she hopes victims’ stories will encourage changes in policies that offer better protection. “We often say this is a club nobody wants to be a part of, but to be able to be connected to other survivors and to have that love and that support so people know they’re not alone is majorly important,” she said. Jennings said another idea in the works to create more trauma recovery centers, where victims and families can have access to services they need include therapy and victim compensation. She said there are currently more than 50 in the country. Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. ...read more read less