It’s my birthday! It is appropriate that today I share information about the two organizations that are most important to me. One is a national organization that works on a large scale. The other is a local organization that gave me a stage upon which I could speak my truth at a time when that truth was raw and difficult. These organizations provide much-needed services to survivors of sexual assault. Will you help me help prevent sexual assault?
Every 98 seconds,
another person experiences sexual assault.
Survivors of sexual assault are of all genders, races, religious affiliations, nationalities, and ages. Sexual violence includes child sexual abuse, rape, intimate partner sexual violence, and other crimes.
Every 8 minutes a child is sexually assaulted in the U.S.
93 percent know their abuser.
RAINN
These statistics are from RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). It is the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S. According to their website rainn.org. They have helped more than 2.7 million people since 1994. Think about that. They have helped more than 112,000 people per year for 24 years!
RAINN operates a phone line and an online chat 24/7 for anyone who needs help because of sexual violence. The organization partners with 1000 local sexual assault service providers. They carry out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice. 95 cents of every dollar given goes directly to their programs and services. See this page to know how your donation helps.
They offer many ways to give. Please visit their donation page here.
RAINN wasn’t around when I struggled to deal with my nightmares and panic attacks. I don’t care whether you call what I experienced repressed memories, false memories, or dissociative amnesia. (Read a balanced discussion of how memories of trauma can work. ). I don’t worry anymore about the details of who did what. I know something did happen when I was very young. That something was sexual, traumatic, and life-changing.
MOCSA
My struggle sent me to therapists and they connected me with a local organization, MOCSA (Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault). At the time I used MOCSA briefly and then ignored them. But, being able to sit on the MOCSA supported stage and tell my story made a huge impact on me. It was the beginning of me getting my life back together.
If you’re a survivor of sexual assault I want you to know that recovery is possible. Strength afterward is possible. Alone it’s nearly impossible. With the help of services from organizations like MOCSA or RAINN, it’s hard and sometimes feels downright impossible. You can do it. It doesn’t mean that you’ll be “normal” whatever that is, but you can get to the other side. The other side is where you can enjoy the beauty, the peace, and the joy in your life. It’s there, waiting for you.
The RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Call 800-656-4673
I want to repay MOCSA by paying forward for someone else. Won’t you help me help prevent sexual assault? Your donation will also help a survivor recover. You can donate here or on Facebook. If you’d rather not donate to my local organization, feel free to donate to RAINN. Either way, your donation helps prevent or helps someone recover from sexual assault. Anyone who comments here with a copy or screen shot of their receipt for their donation (black out the amount–it’s not how much you give–it’s that you gave something) between now and December 31, 2018 will receive a free copy of the ebook version of My Soul to Keep in appreciation of your time and support.