Window Victim Services
This week's speaker was Lisa Lilja, who has been the Executive Director of Window Victim Services for the last 15 years. Lisa showed a power point program and explained how the program has grown since 1986, when it was founded by women in Pine County as a free and confidential service for women seeking help.
Now it has expanded to include services for domestic abuse for both women and men, child abuse, sexual assault, and elder abuse in Pine and Carlton counties and beyond. Window Victim Services has a crisis line, helps with restraining orders, attends court and hospital meetings, provides safe homes for victims, provides reparation for expenses related to crimes, supports families and friends of victims and promotes education in schools and groups. In Carlton County alone they assisted 203 women, 28 men and 17 children last year and helped process 100 restraining orders. They collaborate with other programs such as the SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program in Duluth. They also work with the Community Memorial Hospital in Cloquet, which holds evidence until the victim is ready to prosecute. They have an anonymous reporting protocol. They also work with the Carlton County Attorney's office to provide education programs for victims and offenders. As a non-profit organization they can always use help. They rely on volunteers and earn money by selling used cell phones. They also recycle used cell phones for victims to use. They have fundraisers, and are always seeking items for personal care, gas vouchers or monetary donations, which are tax deductible. Their office is at 116 Avenue C in Cloquet and they are open from 8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday.
Lisa Lilja - Window Victim Services
