WILLINGHAM WINS SCVAN SERVICE PROVIDER AWARD

Victim Advocate Michelle Willingham of the 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office received statewide recognition today for her efforts to help Cherokee County crime victims.

Willingham accepted the South Carolina Victim Assistance Network’s Outstanding Service Provider Award during a ceremony in Columbia. The award cited Willingham for her efforts to go above and beyond the call of duty.

“Michelle is an advocate and a friend to many in Cherokee County,” Solicitor Trey Gowdy said. “She is charged with the responsibility of keeping victims informed about important developments in their case but she does so much more.

“Michelle often finds valuable information that helps with the prosecution and she builds relationships that often outlive the court cases,” Gowdy added.

Willingham is the first full-time victim advocate to work in the Cherokee County Solicitor’s Office. She started in 2001.

Willingham is the second member of the local prosecutor’s office to be recognized by SCVAN - a statewide collaboration of service providers. Solicitor Gowdy received the group’s Criminal Justice Award in 2003.

A good illustration of Willingham’s work occurred in a case where a child was molested by a family friend. Willingham kept in contact with the family in the months following the issuance of a 60-year prison sentence for the offender and she realized the family was living on a limited means and she decided to act on it. The veteran advocate helped organize a bake sale that raised enough money to help the CSC victim and a Spartanburg County family enjoy a better Christmas. Willingham personalized the gifts to include a Christmas ornament with the inscription, “We Love You – The Solicitor’s Office.”

Willingham is a state-certified victim advocate. She completed 70 hours of training on domestic violence, sexual assault response, grief and other issues related to her work. She is also active on a statewide level with service on the Solicitor’s Victim Advocate Forum, the Victims’ Rights Week Committee, the Victim Advocate Policy Committee, SCADVASA/LEVA Collaborative Committee and the Solicitors’ Victim Advocate Conference Committee.

Willingham, a Bennettsville, SC native, is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.