County council moves to support Southeastern Sexual Assault Response Committee

The Southeastern Sexual Assault Response Committee received an early Christmas present Tuesday from Cypress County council: Two years of funding to help support SARC’s outreach program in county-based schools.

Councillors voted unanimously to use $30,000 of the county’s unused Family and Community Support Services funding for immediate support for SARC, and carried another $10,000 over until next year for the organization. Council also voted to add another $20,000 from 2018 FCSS funding to provide a total of $30,000 in support for SARC in 2018 as well.

SARC executive director Christina Johnson was pleased to hear the news Tuesday afternoon.

“We are thankful for Cypress County’s support in helping us to prevent sexual violence in their area,” she said. “It’s a great partnership.”

SARC has been overwhelmed the past few years with a surge in demand for counselling services, which has forced the organization to shift its limited funds from prevention and education programming to meet this pressing clinical need.

Johnson thanked Cypress County for stepping up to fill some of the gaps. More outreach programming will hopefully prevent others from becoming victims of sexual assault and sexual violence in the future, she said.

“The more we all work together to make a change in urban, rural or remote areas, the stronger our response will be in actually ending sexual violence and treating those who have experienced it,” Johnson stated.

Coun. Ernest Mudie made the motion to provide immediate county support for SARC.

“These are good programs, and that’s why we have FCSS,” said Mudie. “I don’t know why anyone would object to it.”