Unsung Hero Awards 2005

On April 14th, 2005 the Victim Support Network for Santa Clara County celebrated it's 22nd Anniversary by honoring and celebrating crime victim advocates. The Victim Support Network (VSN) for Santa Clara County is a formal association of victim service professionals who strive to enhance the quality and quantity of services for crime victims. The VSN also provides support, referral and education as well as advocacy for improvements in the area of law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Each year member agencies nominate individuals whose efforts in the field of crime victim service exemplify the Networks goals and mission. This year VSN nominated 9 Unsung Heroes to receive recognition at a ceremony held appropriately during National Crime Victim’s Rights Week.

This year the Vanished Children's Alliance honored a very special young man. In 2003 Pablo’s family went through an extremely trying ordeal when his 9-year-old sister was kidnapped from their very own home. From the moment it became evident to him that his sister was in danger, Pablo showed an extraordinary amount of courage. In attempting to stop the abduction he was physically attacked by the kidnapper but still managed to escape the home and ran out to call for help. Unfortunately, the abduction still occurred. Pablo’s sister was missing for over two days, during which time their family’s devastation grew by the second. Pablo stayed strong and provided his mother with all of the encouragement and emotional support he could muster, and on the joyous day that his sister was recovered, Pablo also began to prepare himself to be there for her; to do whatever became necessary. All of us at VCA who were lucky enough to know this family feel an extreme amount of admiration for all of them, and honor Pablo for his kind heart, selflessness and the maturity he showed in helping his family through a rough time.