A group of advocates from around Pennsylvania are heading to Harrisburg on Tuesday hoping that state leaders will hear their stories and make legislative changes to help victims of violent crimes.
The push at the capitol on June 3 aims to give victims the resources and security they need while going through traumatic and tough times.
Stream Philadelphia News for free, 24/7, wherever you are with NBC10.
WATCH HEREYolanda Jennings is a survivor of domestic abuse and is all too familiar with losing loved ones to violence.
In 2004, Jennings said that her sister was stabbed to death by her fiancé during a domestic violence dispute. Then, in 2019, she said her cousin was shot and killed by the father of her children. Jennings also said that, in 2024, police shot and killed her son while he was having a mental health crisis.
Get top local Philly stories delivered to you every morning with NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP "My faith is paramount to my survival. I could not do it if I did not have my faith. And then being able to help people every day. Knowing that all the things that I've gone through that now I can help somebody else get through their trauma," Jennings told NBC10.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
That's why, Jennings will join a coalition of crime victims, community members and advocates with crime survivors for safety and justice to bring their voices to Harrisburg to meet with state leaders.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
"We are hoping to share with them our stories. To put a face on the people who need these services, because we are all survivors and nobody can tell our story better than us," Jennings explained. "The whole society is affected by these things. And we just want to make sure that people get the resources that they need."
The group is pushing for three bills to get passed.
- House bill 72: Provides tenants rights in cases of violence.
- House bill 1042: Offers nonviolent offenders vocational and education credit while serving time.
- House bill 964: Provides employment leave for victims and their families of violence.
The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence said that 119 people died because of domestic violence in the Keystone State in 2022. The organization reports that it serves about 90,000 people in the commonwealth each year.
The organization is also going to Harrisburg on Tuesday looking to secure $5 million to build three new trauma recovery centers in the state in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Altoona. As of 2025, there is only one and it's located in Harrisburg.
