Crime Victims Assistance Center’s 40 Years of Service on Southern Tier Close Up

The Crime Victims Assistance Center in Broome County is celebrating its 40th year serving survivors in the community while looking ahead to helping more innocent victims in the future.

Speaking on the weekly, local public affairs program, Southern Tier Close Up, CVAC Education Supervisor Jennifer Spencer talks about the agency's humble beginnings in the basement of a church and its growth to now include its own office space at the Greater Binghamton Health Center and a new office in Endicott.

Spencer says a lot has changed over the four decades including challenges that could never have been imagined in 1980 including the role of the internet in issues of sexual abuse and other crime and the opioid epidemic in the region.

Spencer also talks about New York's year-long extension of a deadline for victims of abuse to file suit against their alleged abuser and that person's place of employment or associated organization.

The Crime Victims Assistance Center 40th Birthday Celebration takes place November 7 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Binghamton.

The Broome County Child Advocacy Center is also presenting "It Takes a Village" conference on child abuse and sexual exploitation November 7-8 at the DoubleTree Hotel.

Information can be found at www.cvac.us or by calling (607) 723-3200.

If you need help, you can call the crisis line any time at (607) 725-4256.

Southern Tier Close Up airs Sunday at 6 a.m. on 99.1 The Whale.