ABOUT SARC
MISSION
Our mission is to deliver healing-centered support services to survivors of sexual violence and inspire our community to resist all forms of oppression.
VISION
SARC envisions a world where everyone is liberated, and a culture rooted in empowerment, equality, and the freedom to thrive.
SARC is committed to building this vision by:
• Providing Survivor-Centered Support,
• Promoting Education & Prevention,
• Advocating for Systemic Change,
• Amplifying Survivor Voices,
• Fostering Inclusive & Empowered Communities,
• Challenging Oppressive Systems, and
• Building Collaborative Partnerships.
PHILOSOPHY
At SARC, we are dedicated to delivering healing-centered support services to survivors of all forms of sexual violence, recognizing the broad and complex ways in which harm occurs. We support survivors regardless of how they experience sexual violence—whether through intimate partner relationships, non-acquaintance assaults, harm caused by friends or family, bias-related violence, sexual harassment, stalking, trafficking, online harassment, or other forms of abuse. We acknowledge that each survivor’s experience is unique, and we strive to meet them with compassion, resources, and a survivor-centered approach to healing.
Sexual violence does not exist in isolation; it is deeply intertwined with systems of oppression, including racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and other forms of systemic harm. These systems create conditions that allow sexual violence to persist and disproportionately impact those who are already marginalized. SARC recognizes that sexual violence is a tool of oppression—used to maintain power imbalances and silence those who resist.
As an organization, we acknowledge that we, too, exist within these systems and that we must actively work to challenge and dismantle them. Our role in resisting oppression begins with prioritizing survivors, ensuring they have access to safety, advocacy, and care. And our commitment does not stop there. We also work alongside community partner service providers, grassroots organizers, and allied organizations that share our vision for collective liberation. Through education, advocacy, and coalition-building, we aim to impact the root causes of sexual violence and to build a future where all individuals can live free from harm.
Healing and justice are intertwined. By centering the voices of survivors and confronting the systems that perpetuate harm, we move toward a world where sexual violence is not just responded to but prevented. We endeavor to support survivors in their healing and play an integral role in creating a more just, equitable, and resilient community for all.
GUIDING VALUES
Hope, Accountability, and Healing-Centered Engagement Toward Collective Liberation
We recognize that the path toward justice and liberation requires collective action, deep care, and an unwavering commitment to addressing the root causes of harm. Our guiding values shape every aspect of our work, informing how we support survivors, engage with communities, and advocate for systemic change.
Healing-Centered Engagement
We understand that trauma does not occur in isolation—harm is experienced within systems, relationships, and histories. Healing is not just about individual recovery but about transforming the conditions that allow harm to persist. We take a healing-centered approach that focuses on the strengths, agency, and well-being of survivors and communities rather than reducing people based on their trauma. This means creating spaces that foster connection, self-determination, and holistic well-being. Our work actively seeks to shift power, build resilience, and cultivate environments where healing is possible for all.
Hope
Hope is an active force that drives our work forward. In the face of violence and systemic injustice, we choose to believe in the possibility of change. Hope fuels our commitment to survivor-centered advocacy, grass-roots community-based prevention and education, and a future where safety and dignity are fundamental rights. We recognize that healing and justice are long-term processes, and we hold space for the possibility of transformation—not only for individuals, but also for communities and institutions.
Accountability
We believe that accountability is essential for healing and liberation. This means taking responsibility for harm, repairing relationships, and actively working toward justice. It also means challenging systems and individuals—including ourselves—to acknowledge harm, change behaviors, and take meaningful action toward equity and safety. True accountability is not about punishment but about transformation: it requires honesty, vulnerability, self-reflection, and a commitment to doing better. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where accountability is not feared but embraced as a pathway to healing and justice.
By centering these values in our work, we move toward collective liberation where safety, dignity, and justice are not privileges but fundamental human rights. We recognize that our struggles are interconnected and that by addressing the root causes of harm together, we build a world where all people can live free from violence and oppression.