Break the Silence, Taylor Police Department create new fund
Crime victims and abuse survivors have a new resource on their healing journey On June 9, Break the Silence, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting childhood sexual abuse, along with the Taylor Police Department and the city, created a new account that will provide victims with funding for a number of emergency expenses, including gas money, food, shelter and more.
“Break the Silence accomplished a core mission goal this morning,” said Marcus Reese, a board member of the 2-year-old organization, as well as a co-founder. “We have successfully created a victim services fund that will help provide victims with resources with valuable care in the moments after a crime has happened.”
Priscilla Moreno, victim services coordinator for the Police Department for almost seven years, said this new funding will be a valuable tool to assist survivors in a timely manner.
“This is the biggest thing that has happened to victim services,” said Moreno, who is also a board member of Break the Silence. “This is going to help me with all those immediate needs, like getting up in the middle of the night to help a victim get away with a bus ticket or a train ticket or a gas card.”
Moreno said she normally has to wait for nonprofits and churches to come through with donations, which can take time, or wait for shelter space to open, which can take days and weeks.
“This will fund gray areas, which are immediate needs that cannot wait,” Moreno said. “It takes time for crime victims’ compensation to kick in or other area nonprofits who have to wait for the next business day or the next week to cut you a check. There are some victims who are living in a jointincome household who have left their abuser. Some just pick up their clothes and leave. Not every victim is like that, but the ones that are have a lot of needs.”
Reese, a survivor himself from Taylor, said a fund like this would have helped him personally when he was going through a court process against his abuser.
“Because I was an adult, actions were limited for me to get help,” he said. “When you are a child, there are centers that will help you free of charge. In the city of Taylor, most things are geared toward children. And that is good. But this will help when it’s two in the morning. Survivors will be able to go and get a hotel, food, clothing and personal items.”
Reese said the $1,000 account will be replenished with new funds during the year to help area victims.
“It is no secret that the resources in the eastern part of the county are harder to come by,” Reese said. “This is our first step at removing some of the barriers and meeting survivors where they are. For Taylorites by Taylorites.”
“ This is our first step at removing some of the barriers and meeting survivors where they are.”
— Marcus Reese, Break the Silence
