As a victim advocate at Breakthrough, Royce goes to the scenes of shooting incidents in our neighborhood. “We help those who have been affected by violence,” he said. “We come in and offer wrap-around services, such as trauma support, funeral planning, job referrals, providing food, and helping with medical benefits.”

Royce has been involved in violence prevention efforts in Chicago for several years. He said, “It’s always been a passion of mine to help out and give back to the community I came from, and I enjoy seeing the passion coming from our team.”

History in the Making: Royce Gives Back to the Community 1
Members of Breakthrough’s victim services team (from left to right: April, Royce, and Kimmie).

Last year, 65 individuals were connected to critical victim services at Breakthrough. Royce and the other victim advocates work together to respond to incidents at all hours of the day and to come alongside victims and their families in the most difficult moments.

Victim Services Coordinator Kimmie says togetherness is important to doing this work. “If it’s a midnight call and someone doesn’t answer, somebody else just steps in. ‘Hey, I’m on my way.’ We make sure to get the job done no matter what.”

In our collaborative work to create a thriving Garfield Park community, Royce and the victim services team play an important part in the writing of our shared history.