EVERETT – When Jenny Wieland says something like, “I know how you feel,” she really means it.

Michael V. Martina / The Herald Karen Sprinkel, volunteer coordinator for Families and Friends of Violent Crimes, speaks on behalf of the family of a murder victim during a sentencing at the Snohomish County Courthouse in June.

She’s already bought the tear-stained T-shirt.

Like so many others long associated with the organization Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims, Wieland knows the pain of losing a loved one to crime.

She was a client of the organization after her 17-year-old daughter, Amy Reagan, was shot and killed by a man with a pistol in 1992. Later, she volunteered to help support others facing the worst nightmares of their lives.

Now, she’s executive director of the organization, a statewide group that offers solace to crime victims’ families and pushes for legislation that benefits victims.

“The whole issue is that victims of violent crimes should be treated with dignity, respect and compassion,” Wieland said.

The private group, which relies on donations and volunteers, augments what county prosecuting attorney offices do with their victim advocates.

A victim might be ushered through a complex and sometimes infuriating criminal justice system by a victim advocate working for prosecutors. But the job for them begins when charges are filed and ends when a case is resolved.

Families and Friends can be there before the criminal charges, and in court to help out during the numerous hearings of a typical case. The group also is there after the criminal has been put away, if the support is needed.

And Families and Friends has a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis line to help those who have difficulty coping.

“For me, Families and Friends is to provide quality services to victims and their families, and to advocate that their rights are enforced under state statute,” Wieland said.

The group puts victims’ needs at the forefront, she added.

Based in Everett and initiated 30 years ago in Snohomish County, Family and Friends has clients across the state, particularly in the central Puget Sound region.

Including Wieland, the group has three full-time staff members, including Karen Sprinkel, who coordinates the volunteers.

She started the year with nine, and now there are 50. They help out in a variety of capacities, including crisis intervention, courtroom support and referrals for victims and their families. Clients see the worst crimes, such as homicide, assault, robbery and adult abductions.

The volunteers currently serve about 180 clients covering 140 separate cases around the state. Because of its home base, the organization has more participation by Snohomish County people, she said.

“We really hope to recruit volunteers from other counties,” Sprinkel said.

Volunteers take a 40- or 45-hour class. The next one will be in January, probably in Seattle, Sprinkel said. For 20 years, the organization was run entirely by volunteers. Now, it has a volunteer governing board representing law enforcement, business and a variety of fields. And it has the small paid staff and a budget this year of $268,000.

The bulk of that money comes from federal sources, which could be cut off if crime-victim money is funneled back into the U.S. Treasury instead of earmarked for victim aid, as the Bush administration has proposed.

That’s why Wieland wants to decrease reliance on federal dollars and is putting more emphasis on donations.

“It’s important to run Family and Friends in a fiscally responsible manner, so it’s important to have a diverse board,” Wieland said. “My mission and the board’s mission is to increase our donations to 80 percent” of the annual budget.”

It’s now less than 30 percent.

One of the group’s chief cheerleaders, Snohomish County chief criminal deputy prosecutor Mark Roe, can’t believe it gets by without a lot of funding. And he respects the group so much that he’s become a board member.

“They are kind of an untold story of all the stories everyone has heard about,” Roe said. “They are the only lifeline for people suffering the most unspeakable thing you can imagine – the loss of a loved one.”

For those who feel the sting of violent crime, Families and Friends is a lifeline.

“When you feel you’re in the Pacific Ocean filled with your own tears, it’s sure nice to see another boat,” Roe said of the organization’s peer support group meetings.

Funding questions aside, Wieland is confident the group will persist in some fashion, no matter what the federal government does.

After all, there’s a need for the support – she knows that firsthand. And if someone’s in need, she wants them to know Families and Friends is available.

For her, it’s more than a job. “It’s a passion. And I know what we do every day helps someone,” she said.

Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.