Each year the month of April is recognized across the country as Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The goal of SAAM is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. By working together and pooling our resources during the month of April, we can highlight sexual violence as a major public health, human rights, and social justice issue and reinforce the need for prevention efforts. Over a dozen communities throughout the state have designated April as SAAM including Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Ogden, Logan, Summit County, and Kaysville.
We’re making April a month of membership and community, celebrating the incredible work that advocates, survivors, and professionals across the state are doing to end sexual violence. Help us recognize the incredible individuals and organizations that are making a difference across the state. Click here to nominate them today for a SAAM award!
After you’ve made your nomination, take a moment to purchase tickets to the 2017 Sexual Assault Awareness Month Awards Party. Zions Bank has will host this celebration of our work to end sexual violence. Join colleagues, friends, and other advocates from across the state to recognize our awardees. Tickets are only $25 and include food, drinks, and a great night of entertainment and celebration. Click here to get your ticket today.
In keeping with our theme of membership and community, we’ve created a new membership program called the Vanguard Network. This network is designed for community members and other interested individuals to support our statewide efforts to end sexual violence. If you like the work we’re doing, please consider joining the Vanguard Network by clicking here.
Our members are the backbone of our efforts and power the work that we’re doing in communities across the state. Here are the things that our members are helping us accomplish:
- On April 4th, we’re co-hosting a Bystander Intervention workshop with YCC, the Utah Department of Health Violence and Injury Prevention Program, and the American Democracy Project at Weber State University. Read more.
- On April 14th, we want to buy you lunch and report back on the successes we made during the legislative session. Please join us and our guest Representative Angela Romero, to debrief the legislative session. We’re providing lunch and hope you’ll join us to debrief the most successful legislative session in recent memory. Read more.
- On April 20th, the Davis County CARES (Community Allied Resources to End Sexual Violence) Coalition is having a meeting. CARES is an effort that began in Davis County in April of 2016 with the intention of preventing sexual violence. Read more.
- On April 24th, we are hosting The Identity Project: An Evening of Healing and Art with the Davis County CARES Coalition and Safe Harbor Crisis Center. Through this workshop, participants will focus on their identity as humans through writing, painting, and drawing. Read more.
- On April 28th, as we mentioned above we’re hosting a the SAAM Awards Party. Join us for a night of fun, food, and friends as we recognize leaders in Utah’s sexual violence field. Read more.
- On May 6th we’ll close out SAAM with our annual Fearless 5K. Now in its third year, the Fearless 5K raises critical funds to support the life changing work of UCASA and serves as a source of inspiration and hope for advocates and survivors of sexual assault alike. Read more.
- Lastly, our next Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training has been scheduled for September 7-9th in Provo. Learn more.
This is only a small portion of what we are doing and we hope that you’ll join us. Our work is powered by our membership program. Join us on the next step of our journey by becoming a member of our newly formed Vanguard Network. By making a monthly membership contribution to UCASA, you are joining the local movement to end sexual violence. Our members include community leaders with a wide range of interests, backgrounds, and experience working to combat sexual violence-related issues. By joining this month, you’ll receive a free ticket to both the SAAM Awards Party and the Fearless 5K.
Thank you for your support,
Turner C. Bitton
Executive Director
[email protected]
(801) 746-0404 Ext. 1