At the Feb 2 Rotary Luncheon at Shadowbrook, Pres. Mike Markovitz presented a check for $500 for Victims Resource Center (VRC) that was gratefully accepted by Janet MacKay.
This donation was made possible from the proceeds of the 2022 Rotary Harvest & Wine Festival.
Janet is the former Executive Director of VRC, who has come out of retirement to work as a counselor at the Tunkhannock office until full qualified staffing is established.
She reminded the club that VRC helps victims of all types of crime from abuse and violent crimes to theft including identity theft and fraud scams.
Recently, there have been several cases of phone scams targeting the elderly in the area. Janet related that VRC can help get some or all of the money stolen or defrauded from individuals on a fixed income, such as social security or pension victims, replaced from the Victims Compensation Assistance Program. Most of these scam calls are originating from outside of the US. Her best advice is if you receive a threatening phone call asking for money or gift cards, tell them you must talk with a relative or friend before you do anything, which usually ends the scam call.
President Mike Markovitz presenting Janet MacKay with a $500 donation for the VRC.