April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so I sat down with Brittani Gere (Family Advocate) of Women & Children's Horizons (WCH). WCH’s mission is to provide support, shelter, advocacy, education, training, and healing services to victims of sexual and domestic abuse, their families, their children (who are often primary or secondary victims), and the community. Their mission is achievable through survivor-centered work that includes strategic partnerships and collaboration. As advocates for social justice, they embrace the voices of diverse communities. They will consider any non-violent strategy that is consistent with their mission to prevent and eliminate domestic abuse and sexual abuse.

In this episode, we talk about WCH's history and mission, some of the statistics surrounding sexual assault, breaking the stigmas associated with sexual assault, advocacy for survivors, an educational pilot program for local schools, following up on the government funding cuts, volunteering, the Mardi Gras Benefit, upcoming fundraisers, the Nifty Thrifty Resale shop, and how you can get involved with this great organization!

Helpful Links and information:

1. For more information about WCH and the great work that they do, you can visit their website wchkenosha.org.
2. To see WCH's wishlist of items needed to help others, visit wchkenosha.org/wish-list.
3. To make a donation visit wchkenosha.org/donate
4. Check out this powerful video of a Survivor telling her story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTppxnhfZco
5. To view their calendar of upcoming events, visit https://www.wchkenosha.org/events/
6. Follow WCH on Facebook (click here)!

If you or someone you know is a victim of Domestic Violence, help is always available. You can contact the great folks at WCH 24/7/365 at their helpline by dialing 262-652-9900 or toll-free at 800-853-3503. You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), texting START to 88788, or chatting live at thehotline.org. Remember, you are not alone.