City officials officially deemed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
In a proclamation read by council member Elaine Hays, the city praised Family Support Services of Amarillo for intensifying its efforts to promote public understanding of sexual violence in the community as well as highlighting the need for citizen involvement to reduce the number of incidents through education and changing public attitudes.
According to a news release, Family Support Services states there are multiple ways individuals can raise awareness about sexual assault in the Amarillo community, including participating in “Paws for Consent/Cats against Cat-Calls Day” on Saturday by posting pictures of pets on social media as well as participating in “Wear Denim Day” on April 28.
Missoula Project Beacon Director Lauren Small Rodriguez, center, and case manager Shayla Beaumont, right, show their table of information to University President Seth Bodnar. The project sold masks designed by Native artists and gifted one to the president.Claire Shinner / Montana Kaimin
Following a report of a rape on campus, a host of advocacy groups and individuals gathered outside a teal tinted Main Hall, gripping signs that read âStrong Aloneâ and âFearless Togetherâ â words that hold a deep meaning to those affected by sexual violence.Â
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and this yearâs theme is âStrong Alone, Fearless Together.â The Student Advocacy Resource Center, Missoula Project Beacon, Make Your Move and other public health groups are working together to raise awareness and build community support for survivors of sexual assault.
One WSU Women s Center employee said Sexual Assault Awareness Month is a time for individuals to educate themselves about various issues pertaining to sexual assault and take action to help end sexual violence.
“This is essentially a time for us to come together and show our campus’ support and solidarity with survivors,” program coordinator Jackie Sedano said.
Last week, the center hosted its primary event for SAAM called SLUT STRUT. It stands for Sexual Learning Ultimately Tailored for Students, Teachers, Residents, Uniting Today. The event, hosted in conjunction with Cougar Health Services, was a week-long series of inclusive workshops, she said.
CUMBERLAND – As the donations keep coming in, Sarah Leduc keeps upping her goal, now approaching $3,000 raised through GoFundMe to support survivors of sexual assault.
Leduc, a senior at Cumberland High School, is a sexual assault survivor herself. She said she wanted to do something to help others in her place, and knew that the nonprofit Day One, The Sexual Assault & Trauma Center in Providence, is severely underfunded for the kind of impact it’s making.
Her fundraiser, titled “Support Survivors of Sexual Assault” on GoFundMe, and coinciding with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, initially started with a $1,000 goal, but she was shocked to see that total easily exceeded, and she’s heard from Day One staff who told her how excited they are about the effort. The latest goal is $3,250, and she had raised $2,850 as of Tuesday from 81 donors.