Kansas families affected by crime receive special poem

Kansas families attending the four remembrance receptions across the state received a special message this year.

Earlier this month, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office in cooperation with the Kansas Organization for Victim Assistance hosted receptions in Wichita, Garden City, Kansas City and Topeka in honor and remembrance of crime victims who lost their lives.

This year more than 355 family members, friends and supporters attended the receptions, which recognized 286 individuals who lost their lives due to crime.

A special poem was read at each of the receptions.

The poem was authored by 2019-2021 Kansas Poet Laureate Huascar Medina and written especially for Kansans whose lives have been touched by crime.

“The holiday season can be a difficult time for the families of crime victims,” Schmidt said. “We are grateful to Mr. Medina for sharing his message of support with these families.”

The poem is shared with the permission of the author at https://bit.ly/2SvkNi3.

The Victims’ Services Division of the Attorney General’s Office is charged with coordinating statewide victim rights efforts and administering grants and education programs. The division also provides a Kansas crime victims’ hotline at (800) 828-9745.