To bring awareness to Sexual Assault Community Action Day on April 6 and throughout April, The Women’s Center of Tarrant County is selling teal T-shirts for $25 during its Victory Over Violence – Hope Starts Here campaign.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“Child and adult victims of interpersonal violence, already vulnerable and traumatized, have been made even more so by the COVID -19 pandemic,” Laura Hilgart, The Women’s Center’s president and CEO, said in an announcement.
She said The Women’s Center is preparing to see an increase in victims seeking services, as many have been trapped in unsafe situations and may have experienced more extreme levels of violence.
“Since we are unable to have our Victory Over Violence Walk/Run, we need the community’s support to raise critical funds to sustain our work – work that prevents violence and helps survivors heal,” Hilgart said.
To kick off the campaign, the nonprofit organization will address the Tarrant County Commissioners Court on April 6 at 10 a.m. and receive a proclamation declaring the day “Turn Tarrant Teal” Day.
The Women’s Center encourages the community to wear the teal T-shirts on April 6 and throughout the month to raise awareness about issues of sexual violence, as well as to support survivors of rape, child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence. Supporters are also invited to wear their teal t-shirts for Denim Day on April 28.
The Women’s Center is also partnering with local colleges and universities during on-campus events to educate students, faculty and the community of sexual and relationship violence prevention.
Confirmed events include participation with TCU’s “Take Back the Night” program, which raises awareness about sexual violence on college campuses.
On the first Tuesday of April, The Women’s Center will participate in Teal Talk Tuesdays presented by UT Arlington.
Additional events include TCC Southeast’s Sexual Assault Awareness Presentation with the Family Empowerment Center, as well as presentations with DASHH (Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, Harassment, and Hazing) Prevention Squad.
Funds raised from teal T-shirt purchases and donations to The Women’s Center help provide continuum of care for the more than 100,000 women, men and children served in the Rape Crisis and Victim Services Program.
Through this program, survivors receive the tools needed to heal from the devastating effects of violence, children and teens learn how to reduce their risk of abuse, and the community is empowered to prevent and respond to interpersonal violence through education and training.
The Women’s Center cited these statistics:
- Every 73 seconds, someone in America is sexually assaulted (RAINN.org).
- Nearly one in three Texans will experience sexual assault in their lifetime, with women being twice as likely to be victimized as men.
- One in four girls and one in six boys experience some form of sexual abuse before their 18th birthday.
- Eight out of 10 rapes are committed by someone known to the victim (RAINN.org).
About The Women’s Center was established in 1979 to address significant problems of violence, crisis, and poverty experienced by women and families in Tarrant County.
To purchase a T-shirt or donate to the organization: https://www.womenscentertc.org/victory-over-violence-hope-starts-here-campaign
More information on The Women’s Center: https://www.womenscentertc.org