Mississippi joins the nation in recognizing Crime Victims. As part of Crime Victims' Rights Week, the Attorney General's Office is honoring survivors, the families of victims,  and the organizations and law enforcement agencies that support them. MPB's Ashley Norwood reports.

Velma Givens Warren says she is no longer a victim. She is a survivor. The Starkville resident says much of her childhood she was sexually abused. She also suffered from an abusive marriage that lasted 13 years. Warren is now the founder of Connected Hearts Incorporated, a nonprofit for survivors like herself. Yesterday, she received an award from the Mississippi Attorney General's Office for her advocacy.

"Walking through it every day and speaking about it, it helps me more. Because you know it's a growing process when you've been in it so long. You don't automatically just come out of it. Every day people suffer, every day every minute with domestic violence. The resilience award I received today, it's just an award that helps me to just go out into the community even more and be more effective," said Warren.

Others honored during the ceremony included the Mississippi Police Benevolent Association. The organization provides financial assistance to the families of officers who are injured or killed in the line of duty. 

Andy Ski is the President of the Mississippi Division. After Lincoln County Sheriff's Deputy William Durr was killed in a mass homicide last May, Ski says the group began the process to support the fallen officer's family. 

"William Durr was a member of my association and he was a brother officer that lost his life and he had a family that needed care. So, didn't matter that they weren't from my area. Didn't matter that they were people that I didn't know. What mattered was that there was a loss of life and it was something that we needed to look after so that's what we do," said Ski.

Information on statewide assistance for crime victims is available at agjimhood.com. Ashley Norwood, MPB News.