South Carolina
Serves all rural counties in South Carolina with Victims' Rights Centers in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper Counties
The Reaching Rural Initiative provides resources to victims of crime in their local communities and remotely. The project partners with established local organizations in each rural county to create Victims’ Rights Centers (VRCs). The VRCs provide victims access to private office space that is equipped with a computer, secure internet connection, scanner, printer and a desk. The VRCs are located inside trusted community partners’ buildings and are unmarked from the outside. This anonymity gives victims access to the tools necessary to access victims’ services, meet with their attorney, attend court hearings, print documents, etc., privately and discreetly. The project has also started connecting victims to transition assistance and resources such as financial counseling, career development, employment opportunities and training. In addition to increasing access to victims’ services, the Reaching Rural initiative has a website with information (including a clickable resource map) for victims, victim service providers and volunteer attorneys. The website hosts an Advocacy Portal, where victim service providers and attorneys can access additional trainings and receive technical assistance through an exclusive forum. The project helped fund an app for victim service providers, which allows them to access our resource map offline, an important feature for advocates in rural areas who do not always have access to the internet.