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13 April, 2023.

Family Counseling Center Honors Crime Victims at Ceremony

The community and media are invited to join The Family Counseling Center of Fulton County, the Domestic Violence Program of Fulton County a program of The Family Counseling Center, Survivor Support Services of Planned Parenthood and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office on April 24th at 3:00 p.m. on the lawn of the Fulton County Courthouse (223 W. Main Street, Johnstown) for a celebration honoring all those affected by crime in Fulton County.

April is Crime Victims’ Rights Awareness Month, an opportunity to honor and remembers victims of crime and the journey of victims through both the criminal justice system and paths to healing. April 23rd through April 29th is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Local advocates, support services, and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office will gather on Monday, April 24th for an annual ceremony of remembrance. The 2023 theme for Crime Victims’ Rights Week is elevate, engage, and effect change. The ceremony will include testimonies from individuals affected by crime including survivors and the families of victims. Flags will be posted on the lawn of the Fulton County Courthouse to represent and remember crime victims.

“We often read about crimes in the news,” said Candy Gurtler, Program Coordinator for the Fulton County Domestic Violence Program at The Family Counseling Center. “People hear more about the crime and the perpetrator than they do about the people who were victimized. By hosting a ceremony and promoting information about Crime Victims’ Rights Week we also highlight that it isn’t just the immediate victims who are affected by crime but their families and friends too.”

“Crime victims are so much more than the act they suffered,” adds Amanda Anderson, Director of the Fulton County Domestic Violence Program at The Family Counseling Center. “Victims of crime and their families have long-term effects from that crime. The process of finding justice is long but the process of healing from that crime may take a lifetime. The annual ceremony honoring victims of crime provides victims an open space to give voice to these experiences.”

Local Dignitaries invited to the ceremony include:

  • Amanda Anderson, Director of the Domestic Violence Program of Fulton County
  • Hon. Chad W. Brown
  • Michael Countryman, Executive Director, The Family Counseling Center
  • Mayor Vincent DeSantis, Gloversville
  • Janine Dykeman, Executive Director, Mental Health Association in Fulton & Montgomery Counties
  • Chief Garavelli, Gloversville Police Department
  • Richard C. Giardino, Fulton County Sheriff
  • Chief Gilbo, Johnston Police Department
  • Chief Groff, Gloversville Fire Department
  • Candy Gurtler, Program Coordinator for the Domestic Violence Program of Fulton County
  • Laurel Headwell, Public Health Coordinator, Fulton County Public Health Department
  • Chief Heberer, Johnstown Fire Department
  • Peter Lawrence, Deputy Executive Director, The Family Counseling Center
  • Hon. James Gerard McAuliffe, Jr.
  • Tina Morey, Planned Parenthood Survivor Support Services
  • Michael Poulin, Fulton County District Attorney
  • Mayor Amy Praught, Johnstown
  • Officer Sitterly, New York State Police at the Mayfield Trooper Barracks
  • Assemblyman Robert Smullen
  • Hon. Michael W. Smrtic
  • Anne Solar, Commissioner of Fulton County DSS
  • John Stead, Administrative Officer Fulton County Board of Supervisors
  • Lisa Tricozzi, Fulton County Court Chief Clerk
  • Cassandra VanNostrand, Planned Parenthood Survivor Support Services
  • Mark Walczyk
  • Others