From grief to support: Office of Survivor Care makes a difference with gun violence
By Akilah Davis
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DURHAM, North Carolina (WTVD) — When the sirens fade after a shooting, the silence that follows can be overwhelming. The City of Durham said it’s working to support victims and their families long after the crime scene clears.
Ontario Joyner, program manager of Durham’s Office of Survivor Care, knows how critical that support is. The office aims to meet victims and their families with compassion and a wide variety of free resources, from mental health counseling to help with food, clothing, and laundry needs.
“Some of the services we offer are directly in response to the outcries and needs within those specific communities,” Joyner said.
Recommendations for support come from police, city services, and community-based organizations, and sometimes even from survivors themselves. The program is modeled after a similar initiative in New Haven, Connecticut.
Last month, Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews presented the fourth quarter crime report for the final time before retiring. The data showed violent crime, including homicides, is down, but for families living through the violence, the trauma doesn’t disappear.
“You’re often not even processing what actually happened until weeks or months after the event,” said Leigh Mazur of the Community Safety Department. “Often, the help is gone by then. We want to be a place for people, no matter when they were impacted.”
Many residents say they didn’t even know the program existed, but they recognize the importance of the support it provides.
“I wish there were more of these everywhere,” said Bruce Pittman. “Too often, once the funeral is over, everybody forgets about the people affected. They have to sit at home with this grief and feelings of unwell.”
Michael DePasquale added, “Gun violence has major impacts on mental health, and all the resources this city can provide are a good thing.”
In Durham, survivors of gun violence now have a place to turn long after the sirens have faded.
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