Cleveland Rape Crisis Center offers educational programs to hundreds of schools, organizations and businesses throughout Northeast Ohio. Each year, nearly 10,000 people, including school-aged children, teachers, parents and professionals participate in the Center’s prevention and training programs.
Make a gift today to support Cleveland Rape Crisis Center's prevention services.
The 8th Annual White Ribbon Day in Greater Cleveland is sponsored by Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Cuyahoga County, Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center, Healthy Fathering Collaborative, Passages, and YWCA Greater Cleveland.
“The White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) is the largest effort in the world of men working to end violence against women… Campaigns are led by both men and women, even though the focus is on educating men and boys. Our local campaign will also focus on violence against children and all intimate partners. The Campaign started in Canada in 1991 when a handful of men in Canada decided they had a responsibility to urge men to speak out about violence against women.” Read more on the Healthy Fathering Collaborative website.
The White Ribbon Campaign offers men, boys, and people of any gender identity an opportunity to speak out against violence and publicly promote healthy relationships.
We can all play a role in preventing violence in our community. Here are four ways you can participate in White Ribbon Day on November 16, 2018:
“I pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women, children, intimate partners and men. From this day forward, I promise to talk to family, friends and co-workers about stopping violence in our community. I promise to encourage them to do the same and I promise to lead them by example. This white ribbon I am wearing will remind me of this pledge.”
Sign up to participate in the 2018 White Ribbon Day and pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence.
“The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center will expand its services for survivors of rape and sexual abuse after receiving $4.6 million in funding through the Attorney General’s Office. Funding came from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program.
“Sarah Trimble with the center said they are experiencing an all-time high in calls. In the last two months, they’ve had a 300 percent increase in calls.
“‘When the national conversation focuses on the issues of rape and sexual abuse, many survivors are re-traumatized by these conversations,’ Trimble said.
“In 2013, the Center received 3,000 calls. This year, Trimble said it’s on track to hit 8,000.
“To make sure all calls are answered, the Center will hire 15 new direct service positions with the grant money, bringing its staff size to 80.
“The funds will allow the Crisis Center to maintain its victim assistance, counseling, and 24-hour services in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties.
“‘That was my safe spot. That was where I could go. I was believed. I wasn’t asked what I was wearing. I wasn’t asked what I drank. I wasn’t asked what my relationship with the rapist was,’ said sexual assault survivor Alisa Alfaro.”
Continue Reading: Rape Crisis Center expands across Northeast Ohio
“The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center will expand its services after receiving an additional $1.5 million in federal funds.
“The center on Monday afternoon announced plans to open two new standalone facilities, one on the east side of the city and one in Lake County. They also plan to hire 15 people using that grant money.
“‘We’ve never had this many people reaching out to us for help. The funding is coming at the perfect time for us to be able to meet the demand,’ said Sondra Miller, president and CEO.
“The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center’s $4.6-million total grant was part of $111.8 million in grants awarded in the state for crime victim service providers, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office’s Crime Victim Services Division, which administers the federal Victims of Crime Act program.
“‘Thanks to the hard work of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, more survivors of sexual violence in Northeast Ohio will be able to access the services they need to move forward with their lives,’ Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in a prepared statement.
“When Miller started at the center in 2009, the crisis hotline was getting seven to eight contacts (text, phone calls or online chats) per day. By 2017, that number had grown to 17 calls a day. Through August this year, the center is averaging 19 calls per day. That call volume spiked in late September during the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Miller said. The day after the hearings, the center received 60.
“Higher numbers of calls, however, don’t mean that there are more sexual assaults and rapes occurring in Cleveland, Miller said. Rather more survivors are now willing to talk about their experiences.
“‘It’s not about how often sexual assault is happening. The numbers are an indication that more people feel comfortable coming forward,’ Miller said. ‘Overwhelmingly, survivors harmed years or decades ago are now choosing to come forward.'”
Continue Reading: Rape Crisis Center expanding, hiring in Northeast Ohio to meet greater need
Expanded services made possible by grant through Ohio Attorney General’s Office
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is pleased to announce that it will expand its services for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, thanks to funding through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program administered by the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Crime Victim Services Division. The funding will allow the Center to maintain and enhance its services in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties.
On October 11, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office awarded more than $4.6 million in funding to Cleveland Rape Crisis Center through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) program, and the State Victim Assistance Act (SVAA) program. These funds are awarded on an annual basis, and this year’s award increased over the prior year by $1.5 million.
“More survivors are now reaching out to Cleveland Rape Crisis Center than ever before, and we are responding to an unprecedented demand for services. These funds will allow the Center to maintain and enhance the specialized services we provide to survivors in Northeast Ohio,” said Sondra Miller, President & CEO, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. “Thanks to this funding from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, we will provide healing services to more survivors in more places than ever before.”
The funds will allow Cleveland Rape Crisis Center to maintain its victim assistance, counseling, and 24-hour services in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties, and will allow the Center to expand in the following areas:
The Center will hire 15 new direct service positions, bringing its staff size to 80, to support the new office locations, programs, and enhanced services.
“Following a year of substantial increases in the number of survivors reaching out to access the Center’s services, we are pleased to be able to hire additional staff so that we can enhance our services and ensure that each survivor who reaches out to the Center can receive the highest level of care,” said Miller.
“I am pleased to provide this grant to Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, to maintain and expand its comprehensive services and support to survivors of sexual violence in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties,” said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. “Thanks to the hard work of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, more survivors of sexual violence in Northeast Ohio will be able to access the services they need to move forward with their lives.”
# # #
About Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
The mission of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is to support survivors of rape and sexual abuse, promote healing and prevention, and advocate for social change. With 65 employees and 100 volunteers, the Center reaches more than 40,000 people each year through its counseling, advocacy, prevention and training services in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties. For more information, visit clevelandrapecrisis.org or call 216-619-6194. The Center’s 24-hour Crisis & Support Hotline is 216-619-6192 (call/text) or clevelandrapecrisis.org/chat.
Did you know that September 15 – October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month? Many survivors find strength in their community, cultural identity, and heritage. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center staff members created masks that represent pride in their own traditions and cultures.
Please enjoy the large images in the following slideshow, and read below for descriptions of each mask.
The black on the flag represents the struggles and mistakes that have happened to the people on the island for hundreds of years. It also represents the death of those powers and way of thinking that has led Puerto Rico to the way it is today. The bright white shining star and lines symbolize the freedom of the individual to think for themselves and to create and claim a better world for them and their loved ones.
Change must begin at home, inside of ourselves, in our communities, in our daily thoughts and actions. The flag helps people understand that there will always be dark and light. Good times and bad times. Fear. Uncertainty. Possibility. Brilliance. It should teach us how to work through these emotions in a positive manner and express ourselves without hatred.
The flag is a symbol that unites us all to fight together tirelessly against fear, frustration, pain, injustice, and misinformation. The flag and its colors represent hope. A new beginning. A new way of acting, creating, expressing. Above all it signifies love. Love for ourselves. For others. For the ancestors. For the land. For the culture. As long as we love and place it above all the negative factors in this world, then we will attain peace, joy, and freedom."
November 1-2, we believe the souls of our loved ones return to earth to visit and enjoy the food, candy, toys, drinks, and marigolds we prepared for them. We honor our deceased loved ones with altars (ofrendas) decorated with their favorite foods, flowers, toys, sugar skulls, calaveras, and drinks. On November 1, the souls of our deceased children come home to celebrate with us for a day and then return to heaven. Then our remaining ancestors come to visit on November 2.
Death is part of life and I learned this from the deaths of my older sister, Vanessa Camargo, my Tío Wilfredo Camargo, my Tía Nona Galvan, my Abuelita Amalia Corona, my Abuelito Julio Camargo, my primos Maritza and Nico, and my Tía Josephine Nemeth. I keep them alive through my memories, sharing their stories, and by celebrating El Día de los Muertos. It brings great comfort to me, knowing every November 1st and 2nd they come home to visit."
El Cleveland Rape Crisis Center ofrece terapia y asesoramiento a personas víctimas Latinas y Latinos que hayan sobrevivido abuso sexual y violación.
Ofrecemos un espacio sano y seguro donde se puede recibir ayuda, sí usted ha sido lastimado recientemente o muchos años atrás. El personal bilingüe le puede proveer apoyo, información, y recursos para mujeres, hombres y niños.
Llamando al (216) 619-6192 o solicitar una cita en línea.
“KENT, Ohio – The #MeToo movement is one that enabled many sexual abuse victims to speak up.
“On the one-year anniversary, experts said there are a higher number of reported sexual abuse cases, and the numbers continue to climb on college campuses.
“’We believe an increase in reports reflects a reality on campuses, which means one in five people have been raped or attempted rape in their time on campus,’ said Alex Leslie, the Senior Director of Education at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. ”
Continue Reading: One year after #MeToo movement began, reported sexual abuse cases up, experts say
Learn about Cleveland Rape Crisis Center's services for college students, faculty, and staff.
Dear Survivors:
The last few weeks have been painful. The news. The social media posts. The politicians who had a lot to say about sexual assault, but were not interested in listening.
I am sorry for every moment when you felt like your story was challenged, your truth questioned or your experience ridiculed. We know it feels personal. It is personal. And it’s not OK.
Every time our society demeans, belittles, mocks, patronizes, ignores or vilifies a survivor who comes forward, it becomes harder for other survivors to come forward with their stories of rape and sexual abuse.
And we know that survivors are facing these same challenges here in our community. We see survivors daily who aren’t believed, listened to, valued, and who come up against barrier after barrier. We are committed to believing survivors when they come forward, and supporting them every step of the way.
The work of Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has never felt more important. More than ever, we are dedicated to changing our culture so that all survivors are believed, supported and able to seek the justice they deserve – whenever they are ready and no matter how long ago they were hurt.
Preventing sexual violence is not only possible, it is possible within our lifetimes. But first our society must change the culture that silences survivors’ stories and leaves power and privilege unchecked. This is not easy work, but we are up for the challenge.
To those of you who felt safe enough to do so, thank you for using your voices to advocate for change. For those who have not yet decided to speak out, we support you in that decision too.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is here 24/7 to listen and support you and we are as committed as ever to eradicating sexual violence from our world.
Sondra Miller
President & CEO
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Call or Text (216) 619-6192 or (440) 423-2020 or chat online today.
