News
ENLARGE
The Grand Junction Lions Club Tuesday awarded its Hometown Hero at a luncheon at Two Rivers Convention Center.
A surprised and humbled Vicky Brickey, technology support employee with school district 51, was named the club's 10th recipient of the Hometown Hero award.
Every year, the club seeks nominations for someone in the community who is an “unsung hero — a volunteer whose work is generally unrecognized by the public.”
Brickey was chosen for her service to the Grand Junction Police Department's Victim's Advocacy Program — a volunteer position considered demanding, and at times emotionally draining and potentially dangerous.
Six years ago, Brickey became a victim's advocate, aka VAP. Since then she has volunteered 2,115 hours of her time assisting victims at 80 domestic violence scenes, 33 unattended deaths, 16 sexual assaults, five suicides, and one murder.
“Vicky has a very gentle, nonjudgmental demeanor which connects with victims,” said Mary Harmeling, GJPD's victim services coordinator.
For the mother of three grown children, being on-call for 12-hour shifts hasn't always been easy on her family. Son, Cole Brickey, remembers his mom having to leave home in the middle of the night sometimes to respond to a scene. It was a “little rough,” he said. Not until Cole became a victim of a crime and needed an advocate did he fully understand what she does and the sacrifices she's had to make.
“My kids thought I would fall apart when I started,” Vicky Brickey said. “I'm stronger than I thought.”
Brickey approaches each case with one simple thought in mind, and that is to treat victims the way she would want to be treated. Some cases, she says, haunt her for days, but that doesn't keep her from answering the call.
“It's hard, but it's rewarding,” she said.
A surprised and humbled Vicky Brickey, technology support employee with school district 51, was named the club's 10th recipient of the Hometown Hero award.
Every year, the club seeks nominations for someone in the community who is an “unsung hero — a volunteer whose work is generally unrecognized by the public.”
Brickey was chosen for her service to the Grand Junction Police Department's Victim's Advocacy Program — a volunteer position considered demanding, and at times emotionally draining and potentially dangerous.
Six years ago, Brickey became a victim's advocate, aka VAP. Since then she has volunteered 2,115 hours of her time assisting victims at 80 domestic violence scenes, 33 unattended deaths, 16 sexual assaults, five suicides, and one murder.
“Vicky has a very gentle, nonjudgmental demeanor which connects with victims,” said Mary Harmeling, GJPD's victim services coordinator.
For the mother of three grown children, being on-call for 12-hour shifts hasn't always been easy on her family. Son, Cole Brickey, remembers his mom having to leave home in the middle of the night sometimes to respond to a scene. It was a “little rough,” he said. Not until Cole became a victim of a crime and needed an advocate did he fully understand what she does and the sacrifices she's had to make.
“My kids thought I would fall apart when I started,” Vicky Brickey said. “I'm stronger than I thought.”
Brickey approaches each case with one simple thought in mind, and that is to treat victims the way she would want to be treated. Some cases, she says, haunt her for days, but that doesn't keep her from answering the call.
“It's hard, but it's rewarding,” she said.
Previous Hometown Hero recipients
2008 Diana Lee - “Look Good Feel Good” for cancer patients
2006 Joyce Hansen Hayes - Soup kitchen/Tree House/GJPD/education 2005 Ray Camren - Blood donor (more than 21 gallons) 2004 Dr. Tom Tadvick - Free dental care through the Marillac Clinic 2003 Greg Martin - Volunteer Fireman (Clifton Volunteer Fire Dept.) 2002 Danny Galloway - Special Olympics 2001 Art Cook - Mesa County Search & Rescue 2000 Richard & Bonnie Walt - Foster parents (200+ kids) 1999 Dave Mantlo - Little League baseball |
