Victim’s Rights Week: April 22 – 28, 2012
April is often celebrated as the official first month of Spring – a time when new life pokes its head out of the earth and heralds the arrival of warm days and sunny dispositions. April is also the month we recognize the victims of sexual assault and those in public service who have unselfishly given of their time and talents to bring about a different kind of rebirth – the transformation from victimized to victorious.
Surviving sexual assault is a many-tiered process. It begins with the arrival of law enforcement and continues through a conveyor belt of people and procedures that help guarantee the arrest, trial and conviction of the perpetrators of this heinous crime. One of the most instrumental people in the healing process is the victim’s advocate. These men and women arrive within hours of an attack and remain at the side of the victim for as long as needed. They bring with them a lifeline back to normalcy in the form of everyday items that we take for granted – deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, wipes, gum, etc.
With our economy struggling to maintain balance, funds to purchase these items have dwindled but the need for them has grown. Rape Crises Centers need your help in the form of donations of tangible products or money.
Travel sized items such as tooth paste, mouthwash, hand sanitizer, wipes, lotions, Kleenex, toothbrushes, combs, brushes, deodorant and baby powder are urgently needed. Additionally, comfortable clothing such as tee shirts, sweat pants, shorts, underwear and flip flops in all sizes are being requested. Add to the list mints, gum, protein bars and zip lock bags and you can see that the needs are many.
As the mother of a rape victim, I know how important it is to offer a helping hand out from under the dark cloud that is rape. I vividly remember my daughter opening a bar of soap while sitting on the examining table in the emergency room of the hospital and inhaling its scent. Somehow that little bar of perfumed body cleanser gave her hope that life would return to normal.
Please consider adding your local Rape Crises Center to your list of worthwhile charities. Your donations will be deeply appreciated in ways you cannot imagine. On behalf of my daughter and our family, thank you.
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