Gun violence survivors fight for easier access to victim compensation resources in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Gun violence survivors are fighting for easier access to victim compensation resources in Austin. 

They’re also calling for state funds to be allocated to the local trauma resource center.

Gun violence survivors share their stories

The backstory:

In 2009, Aswad Thomas had just become the first man in his family to graduate from college and had plans to play professional basketball in Europe.

"That year was the highest point of my life, but it quickly became the lowest point in my life," Thomas said.

In August 2009, Thomas was shot twice in the back while leaving a convenience store in Connecticut. He said when he was released from the hospital, he went back to the same neighborhood where he was shot.

"I remember just going through so much PTSD, depression, anxiety, waking up in panic attacks. I mean, through that experience, coming from those physical walls, also having to deal with the psychological effects of being a victim," Thomas said.

He said he never received help. Studies show that is common.

"We found that two out of three crime victims were unaware of the victim compensation program," Thomas said.

Dig deeper:

Thomas said it is now his mission to provide help to other survivors. He is the National Director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice. 

"Being able to help provide a space for survivors to share their stories, but also training them to be advocates, training them to understand the legislative process, and also bringing them to the state Capitol to meet with elected officials to improve access to services," Thomas said.

He is calling on state legislators to invest about $8 million into sustaining the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center in Austin. 

Jill Henderson is on the advisory board, and she’s the founder of The Bakari Foundation.

Two of her sons were murdered. One was killed in Dallas, and then another in Greece about 10 years later. She said people need help after experiencing something like that.

"Once you've been victimized, it's hard to just live the next day. I mean, you have to figure out, okay, am I ready to go back to work? You know, do I need to get therapy? My children need help. How can I help them get the needs that they need met? So, it's just compound trauma on top of everything else that you're going through, so just having somebody walk beside you would be a tremendous help," Henderson said.

She has now dedicated her life to being that person who helps.

"We become support for one another because nobody can support you unless they've been through this," Henderson said.

The Harvest Trauma Recovery Center is open Monday through Saturday.