Help a Survivor

Did you know?

• Every 2 minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted?
• 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually assaulted before they reach the age of 18?
• Approximately 73% of sexual assault victims know their assailants?
• 60% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police.
• Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail.

Rapists are no longer just the strangers lurking in the shadows – they are the people with whom we share meals, a pew at church, a bench at a local sporting event, and even a house or a blood line.

These are facts that I know, because I am a survivor of child sexual assault.

I have recently become a volunteer rape hotline counselor and medical advocate with Rape Crisis Services and work part-time helping out with administrative tasks, web administration, marketing and fundraising. I have also committed myself and (by extension) A Girl Must Shop to ending the cycle of sexual assault.

Like many publicly and non-publicly-funded organizations, Rape Crisis Services has seen a vast decrease in it’s public and private funding during this lengthy recession – and are facing a loss of its critical multilingual staff in June. I am doing everything I can to get the word out and to raise money for this vital cause.

What can you do?

There are many small and big things that you can do to help Rape Crisis Services.

1. Join our cause on Facebook
2. Follow us on Twitter
3. Friend us on MySpace
4. Search & Shop on GoodSearch to Benefit Rape Crisis Services
5. Volunteer your time (we need all kinds of help – from counselors and medical advocates to administrative, community outreach, education, marketing, fund-raising, development and board of director members)
6. Purchase a $5 bracelet from the A Girl Must Shop Etsy Shop (FREE Shipping). All proceeds go directly to Rape Crisis Services.
7. Donate any amount you can afford ($5, $10, $25, $100 or more)
8. Purchase a ticket to our Annual Fundraiser.
9. Donate an item for a silent auction to be held at our Annual Fundraiser. (And get a FREE 125×125 ad on A Girl Must Shop for a year!)
10. Become a sponsor of our Annual Fundraiser. (And get a FREE 120×600 ad on A Girl Must Shop for a year!)

Thank you for taking the time to learn about this important cause and I hope you’ll consider doing something small or big to help it out.

April 20, 2010 | Megan | For a Cause