Ms. Sandy Middleton, Executive Director of the Mississippi Center for Violence Prevention spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson at the club’s November 19, 2019 meeting. Ms. Middleton discussed the purpose and activities of the Center. The mission of the organization is:
“Through our partnership with multiple community organizations and a committed staff focused on the needs of the victim of interpersonal violence, The Center for Violence Prevention advocates that every person has the right to a life free from violence.”
We provide services for Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Forensic Assistance in Claiborne, Copiah, Hinds, Issaquena, Madison, Rankin, Sharkey, Simpson, Warren and Yazoo Counties. The center offers the only Human Trafficking Shelter in the state of Mississippi.”
Through The “Bridge”, which is a community forensic clinic with 24/7 emergency care for patients who have been a victim of sexual assault/rape or strangulation, the center provides a safe and comfortable setting with trauma-informed care from an in-house Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. A soft interview room is available for law enforcement partners.
Through “The Tower”, the Center provides Specialized services for victims of human trafficking. The tower provides voluntary services to identified victims of trafficking through its multidisciplinary professionals and community partners to achieve safety, recovery, and restoration. Participation in the program is voluntary and requires consent, active participation, and adherence to the established guidelines for the safety and well-being of all customers and staff. Ms. Middleton showed a brief video entitled “Mississippians Against Human Trafficking” that discussed human trafficking, how young women are entrapped in prostitution and what is being done to reduce it.
We thank Ms. Middleton for her presentation and for her work on behalf of the citizens of Mississippi. She is shown in the following photo with Club President Greg Campbell (left) and Club Member Nick Miller who is a member of the Board of Directors for the Center for Prevention of Violence.
