Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center Blog

Sexual Assault Awareness Month has come to a close, and during April, ZCenter staff was thrilled to be out in the community to educate and advocate for our cause and our clients.  We have a big presence all year round, however, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, our presence is clearly enhanced all over the area.  This April, we were excited to partner with the Lake County Courthouse, the States Attorney’s office, and the College of Lake County to raise awareness and highlight sexual assault not as a women’s rights matter, but as a social justice and human rights issue that is relevant to every gender, race, religion and sexual orientation.  Advocates and educators presented trainings at a multitude of schools and social agencies, and therapists brought their expertise to the radio and to TABU, a youth group all the way from Ireland.  Press releases filled the local newspapers, demanding that we bring the issue of sexual abuse into the open in order to break the silence and shame surrounding it.  Being able to bring our knowledge and our gifts to the community was a real privilege, and I know that as advocates, we are always working to reach out to positively impact the culture to create a society free from sexual violence.

I, too, took part in the Sexual Assault Awareness Month events.  As I am currently pursuing a graduate degree in women’s studies, I was honored to be included on a panel of five non-profit professionals and master’s candidates at DePaul University.  Entitled “If Not Now, When?  Showing Up as Allies for Social Justice,” the panel featured the author and violence prevention activist Paul Kivel as the keynote speaker.  The five panelists represented a diverse variety of social agencies (sexual assault treatment, domestic violence prevention, child and family services, and public housing) and discussed the role that non-profits must play in community struggles to end violence and promote equality.  Inspired by Paul’s article, “Social Service or Social Change?” the panelists discussed the responsibility of non-profits in working directly with those who have been affected by social problems and working to empower the community to prevent those problems from happening.  As we all know, ZCenter is an agency that works individually with survivors of sexual assault and abuse to help them to heal from the effects of rape.  However, ZCenter also promotes community-wide change to prevent rape from ever happening, through our prevention education efforts and Up2Us program.  I was so excited to bring our work and mission to a new audience of over 100 members of the DePaul and Chicago community and to explore the ways that non-profits can become more effective in their efforts to advocate for and promote a more just and empowered community.

I was particularly struck by Paul’s message and work.  Paul’s activism against violence is tied to dismantling all other forms of inequality in society, such as sexism , religious intolerance, and racism.  When one group of people are deemed as less than another, he reasons, it become easier to excuse or condone violent and oppressing acts against them.  It becomes harder to be the one to stand up and say that this is not right.  Paul pointed out at the panel, “Violence happens when people are separated, excluded, ignored, or set apart. Making peace requires all hands.”

This then got me thinking back to our work during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.  To be honest, I’ve always had a complicated feeling about “awareness months.”  On the one hand, I am certainly in favor of any kind of awareness and activism; however, I can’t help but think that this increased awareness should be all year round.  This increased awareness must lead to increased empathy and solidarity, with and on behalf of the clients and community we serve.  Additionally, increasing our awareness must in turn create an environment where no one is separated, excluded, or ignored in their time of crisis.  Can you imagine what a year of anti-rape activism would be like?  What would it take?  It would require us to realize that violence is not acceptable.  It would require us to empathize with one another instead of tolerating any kind of abuse inflicted on someone.  It would require all of us to stand up and demand an end to violence.  It would require us to interrupt and stop any form of victim blaming.  In short, it would be a broad, sweeping, community-wide change, and it would certainly “require all hands.”

Promoting activism against sexual abuse, every day, might just be the beginning for turning ZCenter’s vision of creating a culture free from sexual violence into a reality.  It’s worth a shot.  I’m up for the challenge.  Are you?

Blog Note: This entry begins a series of “Days in the Life at ZCenter” entries, so our readers may learn what happens in every corner of ZCenter every day.  This first guest post is written by our Director of Stewardship and Development, Stephanie!  Thanks, Stephanie!

When you were 10 years old, what did you dream of being when you grew up?

I wanted to be a veterinarian. I wanted to help hurting animals to feel better. In the late 70’s, I didn’t know what a Development Director was, and honestly, I don’t know if that title existed at the time. If someone had simplified the request and asked, “How would you like to raise money for a non-profit, social service agency (and I actually understood what those terms meant)?, I am 100% sure I would have responded with a quick, “Ummm…no thank you!” With a Communications degree under my belt, and some radio, marketing and advertising on my short list of employment experiences, I kind of fell into fundraising (which I secretly think happens to most development professionals).

What I love about fundraising is one thing: people. Fundraising/development should, in my opinion, always be about people and your relationships with them. It’s not only about the people you help, although they are the impetus behind our efforts. It’s also about the people you introduce to your work. I am so blessed to be able to tell the ZCenter story to new people every day. I have had guests cry on tours, others shake their heads, and most people want to know, “What can I do?” and I think it’s important that people know that the answer is not always, or only, “Donate.”

Gifts to ZCenter come in many forms: in our volunteers’ time (often the most precious and hardest to assign a value); in services rendered (as in the case of our lower-level expansion project which will give us four more rooms in which to see clients which includes landscaping, building, painting, quilting, decorating, etc.); in committee work on special events which take hundreds of people performing small tasks to accomplish the big event; and sometimes, yes, in actual dollars, as you can see below.

• • $1,000 = 10 emergency room interventions – around the clock, 24/7
  • $350 = a crisis intervention sessions immediately following sexual violence for the survivor and family
  • $250 = risk-reduction workshops that teach safety for adults, children, seniors, and the disabled
  • $100  = one counseling sessions that will benefit a child for a lifetime, or for a teenager or adult to begin the healing process
  • $50 = a prevention education program for children, K through grade 12, which offer age-appropriate safety strategies
  • $10 = one life-saving support line call – 24/7

What I don’t love about fundraising? The word, “NO”! A “no,” to me, means I didn’t do my job. I didn’t make the connection for someone who heard the ZCenter story. I failed to help them see that sexual assault and abuse happens in every corner of the world: eastern or western; in every community: wealthy or impoverished; in every school: suburban or inner-city; in every life: your own or someone YOU know. Statistics show it. Our clients share it. Our staff hears it.

So instead of healing cats and dogs, hamsters and guinea pigs, I am fortunate to be able to be a part of an organization that heals hearts, minds, lives and families. Proof positive that even when dreams come true, they don’t always take the shape you originally imagined!

If you ever have any questions about how you can best help survivors of sexual assault and abuse, please call me. I love each and every opportunity to connect with someone and when that someone truly wants to make a difference in the life of survivors, whether their donation is time, service or money, that’s MY gift!

I attended an event last week with advocates from all of the rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters from all over Illinois.  We met with our legislators and had a huge, energetic rally at the state capital to persuade lawmakers to pass an amendment to the Illinois Constitution to protect the rights of violent crime victims.  Although in 1992, Illinois was the first state to give rights to victims of violent crimes, the original amendment was left without the key technical wording that would make these rights enforceable. As a result, the existing law leaves victims unprotected and often barred from even basic information surrounding criminal court proceedings.  As Illinois has the dubious distinction of being the only state where the rights of victims can be barred, this amendment (known as “Marsy’s Law” or HJRCA 29) would create the blueprint for enforcing them.  As rape advocates, we know that the process of reporting sexual assault can be an incredibly difficult one for survivors.  Many feel that taking the case to trial is re-traumatizing and emotionally draining.  As advocates, we’re here to promote the choices and autonomy of survivors, and we had to get involved to protect their rights during this difficult time.

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February is Black Heritage Month and President Barack Obama recently published a presidential proclamation to acknowledge this important month: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/31/presidential-proclamation-national-african-american-history-month-2012.  In this proclamation was an emphasis on the role of Black women who shaped American history: “This year’s theme, “Black Women in American Culture and History,” invites us to pay special tribute to the role African American women have played in shaping the character of our Nation — often in the face of both racial and gender discrimination.”

The anti-rape movement is certainly closely linked to and inspired by the feminist movement.  However, one thing many people don’t know is that it is also linked to the struggle for civil rights in the United States.  I recently read a thought provoking book called At the Dark End of the Street by Dr. Danielle McGuire.  At the Dark End of the Street details the role of women in the Civil Rights Movement, highlighting their contributions to the fight for equality.   In particular, Dr. McGuire describes the vital role that Black women played in the struggle against sexual violence—decades before rape crisis centers like the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center were founded.  Black women activists were the ones who led the charge against sexual violence and exploitation.  In particular, many people might know Rosa Parks’ Civil Rights activism during the 1950s and 1960s.  However, she also was a tremendous activist for justice for sexual assault survivors long before the feminist anti-rape movement began.

Dr. McGuire’s personal website describes the book like this:

“Rosa Parks was often described as a sweet and reticent elderly woman whose tired feet caused her to defy segregation on Montgomery’s city buses, and whose supposedly solitary, spontaneous act sparked the 1955 bus boycott that gave birth to the civil rights movement.

The truth of who Rosa Parks was and what really lay beneath the 1955 boycott is far different from anything previously written.

In this groundbreaking and important book, Danielle McGuire writes about the rape in 1944 of a twenty-four-year-old mother and sharecropper, Recy Taylor, who strolled toward home after an evening of singing and praying at the Rock Hill Holiness Church in Abbeville, Alabama. Seven white men, armed with knives and shotguns, ordered the young woman into their green Chevrolet, raped her, and left her for dead. The president of the local NAACP branch office sent his best investigator and organizer against sexual violence to Abbeville. Her name was Rosa Parks. In taking on this case, Parks launched a movement that ultimately changed the world.

The author gives us the never-before-told history of how the civil rights movement began. Black women’s protests against sexual assault fueled civil rights campaigns throughout the South.” (http:// atthedarkendofthestreet.com/).

Rosa Parks in particular was a champion for rape survivors long before the rape crisis centers were founded or marches were held to ‘take back the night’.  In a time when rape was not taken seriously and survivors faced undeniable hostility, her investigation and courage meant that she would not be silent or controlled by fear (and that she would not allow Recy Taylor, the survivor, to be silenced by fear either).   I was personally floored by this story, and it made me aware of the importance of just one person standing up and speaking out.  In a time before organized action against rape, and in a time of rampant racial and gender discrimination, this type of activism was undeniably courageous.

This also got me thinking about the intersections between ending sexual violence and ending racial inequality. which makes a lot of sense when you think about it.  We cannot have equality if part of the population lives in fear of violence.  And we also cannot promote empowerment without supporting everyone’s right to live in a safe community that is free of violence.   A book like At the Dark End of the Street detailed, for me, stories that everyone interested in ending sexual violence should know.  It detailed how problems like violence, sexism, and racism often are interconnected in our culture.  But it also explained that despite the seemingly overwhelming nature of these problems, there has always been and will always be resistance in the form of activism and service.

Happy holidays, readers!  I wanted to wish you a really happy holiday season and a great new year.  In the spirit of the holiday season, I wanted to take the time to thank those of you who have really stepped up to make the agency successful.

First of all, I wanted to thank our volunteers.  I know that all of you have used your gifts to benefit the agency during this year.  You are the ones who truly make a difference every day when you arrive at the hospital to comfort a rape survivor, teach students of all ages about safety, serve on our Board to guide the direction of the agency, and and plan our exciting events to raise awareness of our cause and funds for our services.  As a former volunteer myself, I can certainly appreciate all of the time and effort that you’ve taken for us.  I recall just how many ways that everyone was able to help during my days as a volunteer.  I saw advocates helping at special events, administrative volunteers stepping up for medical call-outs, and retired clinical volunteers sharing their knowledge with the counselors on our staff.  As a staff member, I continue to see and appreciate this.  It is truly inspiring to see how everyone comes together for the good of the center and community!

Second of all, I would like to thank our donors.  This holiday season, all of us in the Development team were hard at work in showing our gratitude to everyone who has supported the agency and our programs.  We call it the “Caravan of Thanks.”  For my third holiday, I participated in my own “Caravan of Thanks,” and I wrote out holiday cards to say thank you to all of the corporate, foundation, and governmental donors who have generously supported our services throughout the years.  I like this part of my job because it allows me to reach out to our supporters and to show them how much they’ve helped us.  I was pleasantly surprised this year when several grant monitors personally contacted me to say they were excited to receive the cards I sent.  Additionally, I would like to thank the many of you who contributed holiday gifts and cards for our clients.  I was so impressed when I saw all the gifts arranged for our clients to choose from, and I was amazed when I saw the smiles on the clients’ faces as they took their gifts home.  You will certainly help make the season bright for these women, men, and children.

So consider this my own “Caravan of Thanks” to all of you.  THANK YOU for all that you have done for us, our clients, and our community!  Happy holidays and happy new year!

I apologize for being a little late to the whole conversation surrounding the sexual abuse case at Penn State University.  It took me a while to find a way to appropriately convey the issue at hand, as the topic remains a sensitive one.

We empathize with the young victims in Pennsylvania, and we understand the importance of taking the steps to make sure this does not happen again.  In order to learn these steps, we need to understand the following things about the case.

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Good morning, readers!  All of us at Z Center are still buzzing about our wonderful fundraiser we held this month, our Casino Night event!  The event was simply exquisite from start to finish.  We have our phenomenal volunteers, staff, and speakers to thank for such a great event, so before I get any further, I just wanted to give a BIG thank you to you all!  You are all the reason for the success of both the event and the agency!

Guests enjoyed an elegant silent auction, an outrageous live auction, and spirited mock gambling.  However, the highlight of the event was our program, featuring the talented and inspiring Heather Aranyi.  Heather is a professional opera singer and conductor, and she is a winner of our Judith Dawn Memorial Fund scholarship (a scholarship that gives survivors the opportunity to express themselves through art).  As a survivor, Heather declared that the scholarship “helped [her] to find her voice” and built up her confidence.

And indeed, Heather was in fine voice that night.  She sang two classic songs for us, one she described as “before” seeking help and the other she described as “after” she came forward.  The first was a stirring rendition of “Make Them Hear You,” from the musical Ragtime, and the second was an uplifting version of “Over the Rainbow.”  The whole venue was filled with her voice and her emotion.  Heather’s courage to talk about her experiences was completely inspiring.  As previous posts on this blog have aptly noted, speaking out about sexual abuse can be a very intimidating experience.  However, Heather’s strength and courage shone through in her songs and speech.

Heather Aranyi Sings at Casino Night 2011

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Robin Morgan had it right when she declared that “Sisterhood is Global” in the title of her classic feminist text.  This past week, we at Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center learned just how true that statement was when we received a visit from two of the members of KOFAVIV (http://kofaviv.org/), an anti-rape organization based in Haiti.  A nurse from the group and a translator toured Z Center and spoke to our teams about their group’s incredible work and history.

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One popular chant on the Take Back the Night march goes like this:

“No more silence, no more hate!  No more violence, no more rape!”

This chant is short but sums up the goals and the overall spirit of the march and of the cause of ending sexual violence.  Take Back the Night is an annual march that usually occurs in April (Sexual Assault Awareness Month), and it rallies community members to stand up and raise their voices against sexual assault.  The overall theme is that we, as a society, must stand up and demand NO MORE violence.

This is the overall message of us at Zacharias Center and in the rape crisis centers nationwide.  We all believe that everyone has the right to be safe and free from the threat of abuse, and our work daily is geared toward that end.

Now, I am excited to introduce another project that demands an end to sexual violence as part of a national campaign.  Allow me to introduce, titled appropriately enough, the No More Project: http://calcasa.org/calcasa/web-conference-to-preview-the-no-more-project/.

The No More Project is spearheaded by the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CalCASA), with support from a variety of women’s and anti-violence organizations.  According to the CalCASA website, “this Project is about creating a new, over-arching visual symbol to help raise public awareness about sexual violence and domestic violence. Like the AIDS ribbon or the peace sign, we hope this symbol will help augment and connect the efforts of domestic violence and sexual assault organizations large and small, supplementing rather than replacing our existing logos and brands. We also hope it will be widely adopted by members of the public to express their solidarity with us on these issues.”

Last summer, the issue of public awareness for sexual assault was covered by this blog (http://zcenter.org/blog/?p=42).  Perhaps, with a national campaign, people will be more willing to talk about it and more inclined to speak up against it…and find help if they need it.

We wish all the best of luck to the No More campaign!

Hello readers!  This is Alex, and I’m excited to be returning to “From Here to Healing.”  You’ve met me earlier this year, and I’m looking forward to serving the center and our online following in a bigger capacity now.

So, as many of you might know, the former chief of the International Monetary Fund was released after being accused of sexually assaulting a hotel housekeeper.  The accuser has recently made a public appearance in the hopes that it will call attention to her story and show the public what she has had to go through.  [Read more →]