40th Ruby Anniversary Fundraiser

40th Ruby Anniversary Fundraiser

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It’s been a couple years since we’ve held a fundraiser and this year we wanted to do something special and impactful as much as possible to raise awareness and funds for SARC. We also wanted to act sooner than later because of the political and social climate we find ourselves in and because we know that SARC is losing funding, we just don’t know the extent yet. With a lot at stake for our vulnerable communities, there has been so much momentum in the social justice movements and awareness raising since election day; we certainly are no exception.

This year’s fundraiser marks SARC’s 40th Anniversary operating as a support agency for survivors of sexual assault and their loved ones first and foremost. Since its inception in 1977, it has expanded to cover anti-trafficking programs and prevention education. We’re highlighting this occasion occurring at the end of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The color for a 40th anniversary is ruby red, and what better theme than to have it be our ‘Ruby Anniversary Fundraiser’? We’re carrying through the red color of solidarity and invite you to wear your red out to the fundraiser.

We’ve been hard at work planning and the event is coming up this week! We wanted to be sure to thank and highlight our sponsors and donors and share the silent auction and raffle item details here. You can track updates on our other social media channels like the Facebook event page, Twitter, and Instagram, please see other posts and information there.

Listen for us to be featured on XRAY.FM’s show, ‘The Non Profit Hour’, Tuesday, airing at 1:00PM, and re-airing the following Monday morning, 6:00AM. A few of us went in to record this interview hosted by Phil Busse of the NPH show. Recording will also be available as a podcast.

Date: April 27, Thursday
Time: 5 – 8:00pm
Venue: Ecotrust
Program Schedule:
5:00 – DJ Mr. Mumu, open mingling, snacks, drinks, networking
5:45 – kick-off intro
6:00 – DJ, open, donation highlights
6:15 – Get to know SARC & Staff
7:00 – Pull a few tix
7:05 – Executive Dir., Erin Ellis
7:30 – Moody Little Sister
7:50 – Pull all tix; wrap; hand-off prizes

The silent auction will go through the end of the evening and we’ll plan on pulling raffle tix at least a couple times. You do not have to be present to win a prize and if you elect not to purchase the auction item you bid on, it goes to the next highest bidder.

moodypicThis year, Moody Little Sister, will perform at the end of the evening for us. Naomi Hooley  and Rob Stroup form a Folk-Rock & Soul Duo out of Portland, Oregon, who have been touring and playing a lot of shows as of late. [insert pic] Community, nature, and the inward journey are the chorus line themes to most of the band’s songs. As a result they have been regarded as “social change agents” and “community creators”. Their debut record “Wild Places” is a soundtrack for anyone on a journey to be more authentically themselves.They’ve just announced an exciting move to New Mexico, so we’re lucky to have them play for us before their next adventure! Photo provided by Moody Little Sister.

DJ-Mr-MumuWe will also have a great local DJ Mr. Mumu, who plays regularly at Tilt and Valentines, to get you in the mood to donate. Lover of all types of music, he’s been working as a DJ for two decades and then some.

“I have played and can play just about every event possible…from swank black tie soirees to dark and dirty rock clubs…sometimes in the same night.”
Get ready to do some dancing while donating, while he spins only vinyl for us!

This is an annual fundraiser that we hope to grow year after year, and we are so thankful for our sponsors and all donors for this year’s event. All of the auction and raffle items have been donated by artists, businesses, friends and family in our community. Please let them know you appreciate their support of SARC the next chance you get. Photo provided by DJ Mr. Mumu.

Sponsors
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Enjoy these donated drinks and food
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We’ll have more drinks, food, and sweets for you, we’d love to see you all there!

Silent Auction and Raffle Items showing their retail value | Items 1 -9 (silent auction)

1 Blazers Print $150
2 Rodinia necklace $200
3 Dawn Kowalewski Photography (14X14) $250
4 Artistic Bliss Portraits – 11×14 $550
5 Artistic Bliss Portraits – 11×14 $550
6 Private Flight Time (2-3 people) $425
7 Beach House (2 nights) $840
8 Women’s Group Self-defense Class $1,500
9 Dunn Carney Legal Services $1,750
10 Wine – Hiram $40
11 Bluestar Donuts $50
12 Bluestar Donuts $50
13 Domaine Drouhin Wine $50
14 Wine $50
15 Wine – Hiram $60
16 Rodinia ‘PDX’ necklace $52
17 City of Portland Golf passes 2×18 holes $90
18 Widmer Brothers Beer Pack $100
19 Yoga Shala – Classes 10-pack $110
20 Laika Studios – Kubo Gift Set $125
21 Ascension Fitness (pkg w/ Dr. Ni’s) $127
22 Cleobella Dress $150
23 Aquarium Pkg $199
24 Cleobella Dress $250
25 Folly Shopping party $250
26 Eastside Distilling Party $250
27 Garden Party for 6 $300
28 Cleobella Bag $400
29 Cleobella Bag $400
30 Mexico Vacation Rental (6 nights) $2,100 *Special raffle
31 Pilates Central PDX (2 sessions) $140
32 Pilates Central PDX (2 sessions) $140
33 Andina Restaurant GC $150
34 The Bite of Oregon tix 2 $150
35 Warrior Flow – Spring Challenge $175

 

Sexual Assault Does Not Happen In A Vacuum

Sexual Assault Does Not Happen In A Vacuum

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This year continues to fly by as we head into April, and with so much going on locally and nationally, it’s not surprising things are moving quickly. This month, as we honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month and celebrate SARC’s 40th anniversary, we want to continue to voice our belief that the work we do around sexual assault cannot be treated as a vacuum issue, separate and unaffected by social and political dynamics.

The list of topics swirling around public discourse in our country seems endless, including immigration, climate change, environmentalism, sexism, sexual assault, systemic racism, transphobia, white supremacy, LGBTQIA rights, and much more. Part of doing work to end sexual violence means accepting that all of these issues interact with each other on multiple levels every minute of every day. That is because as people, we each experience and view the world through a kaleidoscope of unique identities and histories. Furthermore, the systems built around us, like government, healthcare, and capitalism, impact all of those identities differently.

SARC operates with the knowledge that sexual assault can happen to anyone, but that it does not happen to everyone equally. Research shows us over and over again that sexual assaults disproportionately occur against women, people of color, LGBTQIA individuals, undocumented immigrants, the elderly, people with disabilities, women in the military, the incarcerated, and people who struggle with financial or housing insecurity. Similarly, changes in local and federal legislation have the potential to disproportionately impact the same vulnerable populations.

Healthcare & Intersectionality

When it comes to prevention, SARC knows that education is key, as is access to resources. While prevention education helps stop would-be perpetrators from ever perpetrating in the first place, access to resources helps make individuals less vulnerable to exploitation and assault, since we know perpetrators often target those who are marginalized in society. Access to employment, culturally responsive healthcare, insurance, housing, schools, and other benefits increases one’s capacity to lead a safe and healthy life. Lately, a major issue regarding access to resources is health care coverage.

Nationally, threats to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) indicate threats to the wellbeing of our community members. Under the ACA, 30 million women gained copay-free access to preventative healthcare, including contraception, domestic violence screening and counseling, postpartum support services, depression screening, and more. Members of LGBTQIA communities were guaranteed protection from discrimination based on identity, orientation, or HIV status. The expansion of Medicaid in most states increased eligibility for coverage for millions more low-income households and individuals, although significant gaps still exist in gaining coverage for all people across income brackets.

As we advocate improving rather than rolling back our federal healthcare laws, we must also look to local government to guarantee protections. House Bill 2232 was recently introduced to the Oregon legislature to provide comprehensive reproductive health care for Oregonians. The bill requires insurers in the state to cover reproductive health services including contraception, STI screenings, prenatal care, and much more. It also protects against gender identity discrimination with language that would, for example, bar insurers from refusing to cover gynecological exams for transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals.

You can track HB 2232’s status here. While we wait for it to be debated and voted on, remember you have the power to reach out to your representatives! Having affordable access and autonomy to make health decisions about our bodies is part of the fight to end sexual violence. It sends the message that all bodies are equal, that bodies have rights, that our bodies are ours.

To learn more about how healthcare impacts women in Oregon specifically, check out the Women’s Foundation of Oregon’s intersectional analysis of the issue.

Healthcare is a great example of how current national issues tie directly to SARC’s work in ways that may not always be obvious. We want to celebrate intersectionality, and be conscious of the ways it influences our work. Recognizing our blindspots with humility and actively addressing them is the only way to make sure we are serving the needs of everyone who may need us.

Identities can be complex, but the bottom line is simple: sexual violence is inexcusable and preventable. The movement to end sexual violence is all of ours. We’ll work from different approaches and perspectives to address it, but we need your help.

Resources: 
Donate >
Volunteer >
More SAAM events >
RSVP to 40th Anniversary fundraiser >

 

*Banner provided by HCAO.org

Spotlight: Volunteer Support Line Advocates

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This month with recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) we also recognize three of our support line advocates who volunteer their energies, expertise and service. We can’t stress enough how important our volunteers are to the success and continuation of SARC services.

We appreciate you!

This month, meet Tina, Lua, and Yi, three of our support line advocates.

Tina Tina_April
Started at SARC: February 2015
Outside of SARC: Tina works as a CNA and does Jiu Jitsu. She plans to become a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

“The first thing I did when I moved back home from college, besides eat and get rest and typical kid home from college stuff, was to get in touch with SARC and apply to be an advocate. I first learned about SARC through the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, then volunteered as an advocate on the crisis line, and now I am part of the weekend on call crew. Previous SARC events showed me the philosophy and mission of SARC. I knew that when I was able to commit myself to a volunteer position of an extended period of time that it would be with SARC. I like the vulnerability I experienced with my training group, I LOVE ERIN [Ellis, SARC’s Executive Director], I like the motivation behind everything that SARC does. I like that we work with CSEC and Beaverton Police. SARC allowed me to work closely with my community and has helped me realize what profession I want to pursue.”

Lua Lua_April
Started at SARC: August 2016
Outside of SARC: Lua works in psychiatric research and spends her spare time with friends and family, playing with her two dogs, Thor and Loki, and learning songs on her ukulele with her husband.

“After moving around to pursue my education, when I finally settled in Portland I wanted to start being involved in the community. Working with SARC has been a great opportunity to help people at a time of crisis, when they might not have anyone else to offer the support they need in that moment. Aside from taking on the role of an advocate, one of my favorite things about volunteering is meeting and working with the wonderfully selfless (and overall awesome) group of ladies of SARC.”

 

Yi Yi_april
Started at SARC: February 2015
Outside of SARC: Yi works as a Domestic & Sexual Violence Case Manager supporting immigrant and refugee victims and survivors. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her bike, practicing yoga, reading books, and watching 24 and Game of Thrones with family — especially with Season 7 coming up!

“My favorite thing about volunteering in SARC is that I get to learn from and work with amazing women from all walks of life who are passionate and dedicated to support sexual violence survivors. SARC is a supportive and inclusive community that upholds practicing self- and trauma-informed care; this is reflected in its volunteer training and extensively in its crisis line advocacy. As a crisis line volunteer advocate, I often feel cared, encouraged and appreciated by SARC staff. In navigating career paths after college graduation, volunteering for the crisis line has fulfilled my desire for gaining human, direct service experiences and ultimately led me to find the job of my dreams. It’s precious to me that volunteering for SARC enables me to connect with myself and others on a meaningful and deeper level. I continue to volunteer for SARC because it has a special place of my heart.”