This week, Guilford County Family Justice Center, or FJC, will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The organization supports victims of domestic violence, among others.
In 2012, Guilford County led the state of North Carolina with the highest number of domestic violence-related homicides. Reducing these homicides was one of FJC’s original goals, but they also wanted to monitor offenders and hold them accountable to deter future violence.
They do so through more than a dozen partnerships, including with regional police and sheriff’s departments, legal services, and medical clinics. Director Catherine Johnson says it’s working.
"So, probably what I'm most proud of is the hundreds and thousands of lives that have been influenced and touched, lives that we may not even know when we think about how far our reach is," she says. "When survivors get the resources that they need and the help that they need to protect themselves and their family, and when those that are doing harm are held accountable to that harm, we can really create huge community change."
The anniversary celebration takes place Friday morning with a program including speeches by community leaders and stories from survivors and their families.