Prince George, B.C. – Victim service providers handed out their annual awards at a gala banquet this week in Prince George.

The service providers include the Prince George RCMP’s police-based victim services, the Elizabeth Fry Society’s community-based victim services, and the Prince George Native Friendship Centre’s Aboriginal community-based victim services.

This year the focus of National Victims of Crime Awareness Week has been on youth. And the winners were:

A Youth that Speaks Out Against Violence:

Megan Leslie – After the death of her sister, Loren Leslie, Megan has taken up the message of being safe in her interactions. She has been going to schools to talk to youth about her own experience of losing a sister to a violent crime and how she is healing from this tragedy.

Youth Service Providers that go Above and Beyond:

John Giannisis – contributed countless hours collaborating with several schools and the three VS programs to create an amazing experience for the youth and the community by choreographing and planning a flash mob to launch National Victims of Crime Awareness Week aimed at educating and bringing awareness to issues involving youth and how to combat victimization.

Cst. Paul Starr – As the RCMP Youth Support Officer Cst. Starr has connected with countless youth and built some wonderful relationships with youth who, in the past, may not have felt comfortable getting to know a police officer. He has gone beyond the expectations of his role by engaging youth and even supplied groceries with his own money to help a youth with a unique home life situation so that his family could have a Thanksgiving dinner.

Val Jordan – Val Jordan works in the young parent program at the Elizabeth Fry Society and she is treated by her students like a beloved auntie. She has provided consistent support to young women facing very adult situations and she does so with respect, honour and kindness