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By Brenda Wynn

IBX Hotline Community Advocate

April 2020 marks the official 19th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

SAAM is about the awareness and prevention of sexual assault, harassment, and abuse. It’s impossible to prevent an issue no one knows about, and it’s difficult to make people aware of a problem without providing a solution. The two work in tandem, and they always have. That was the reasoning behind the establishment of SAAM.

This April we are faced with another challenging fear to add to Sexual Assault, that is, the circumstances of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

Parents are at home together with children and each other due to the Stay at Home orders from the Governor and the President. Some victims are trapped at home with their abusers, feeling isolated from people and resources that could help them. When stress occurs in times like this crime tends to rise and sexual and domestic violence victims are often abused, even within the walls of their own homes.

We know that violence is rooted in power and control. Right now, we are all feeling a lack of control over our lives, and an individual who cannot manage that will take it out on persons around them.

Persons who are already in an abusive situation will find themselves facing more extreme violence because they cannot escape by going to work or visiting friends and family.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from violent acts of sexual assault or domestic violence please feel free to reach out to a member of our staff for measures on how to get safe and stay safe even in the midst of this serious health crisis. We are committed to the safety and of our clients and their children.

Please call our 24-hour crisis line at 1-877-429-5526 or 911 for assistance.

Our Thrift Store is closed until further notice, and we are not accepting donations at this time. Thank you for your patience and support.