“A homicide results in one person's death, but the ripple effect to the community is enormous,” said Tracey Thomasey, executive director of the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia (AVP). “Very often, we'll get a referral and it's 10 family members, all asking for counseling.
“When you go into the prelim rooms and you see families sitting there, sometimes it’s one person and sometimes it’s 20. The ripple effect is huge.”
The nonprofit aims to help grieving families by connecting them with counseling, helping to navigate the court system, or by just being there — sitting next to a loved one and providing emotional support.
As the preliminary hearing coordinator at AVP, Heather Arias spends a lot of time working in the Families of Murder Victims department.
“They've been through so much already, and the least that we can do is kind of hold their hand through this trying, complicated, confusing time,” she said.
This week on KYW In Depth, host Carol MacKenzie talks with Thomasey and Arias about managing the difficulty of their jobs, finding joy in the little moments, and how grieving families can get help.