Chester Academy was one of four Orange County high schools visited by Fearless! Hudson Valley Sept. 28 through Oct. 2, spreading awareness of teen dating violence through the “Chalk about Love” initiative. The program encourages students to spread positivity with sidewalk art, using words and drawings to talk about what love is to them – and what it is not.

“What we are seeing unfold at Cornell University is, unfortunately, not unique. Survivors deserve systems that meet them with safety, dignity, compassion, and belief not disbelief, delays, isolation, or processes that compound the trauma they have already experienced. Institutions have a responsibility to create survivor-centered, trauma-informed systems that prioritize the safety and well-being of survivors, not institutional reputation, or the avoidance of difficult conversations. We owe them action, accountability, and systems designed to support, not further harm them,” said Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier, Executive Director of Fearless! Hudson Valley Inc.

The Crime Victims Fund helps support shelter, counseling, advocacy, and other services for millions of victims of crime each year. Declining deposits have led to funding cuts that affect programs and the people who rely on them.

The House passed the bipartisan Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act. Now we’re asking the Senate to act.