Messages of Hope
Agency recognizes, remembers sexual assault victims
A windy Friday was the perfect day for 50 Safe Berks employees to plant 250 pinwheels outside the nonprofit agency to let the public know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness month.
The wind spun the blue, green and purple pinwheels inscribed with inspiring messages: “There is Hope” and “You are not Alone.”
“We are here 24 hours a day for anyone who is sexually assaulted,” Francine M. Scoboria, Safe Berks spokeswoman, said as the pinwheels were spinning in a patio garden outside the agency at 255 Chestnut St., Reading, April 2.
“Anyone who was sexually assaulted can count on us.”
The employees were wearing masks and social distancing while planting the pinwheels. To mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the public was not invited to the event, “Recognizing & Remembering Victims of Sexual Assault — Known and Unknown.
The agency provides services to 4,000 clients a year, Scoboria said. A majority of the agency’s staffers are vaccinated, and they are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Scoboria said there was a slight drop off in clients during the first three months of the pandemic when Gov. Tom Wolf issued a stay-at-home order to prevent the virus’ spread.
Beth Garrigan, CEO of the agency, said that there have been more virtual programs set up with the local schools and more communication on social media as a result of the pandemic.
According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, based in Washington, D.C., one in three women and one in six men will be a victim of sexual assault in their lifetime. An average of 293,066 individuals ages 12 or older are victims of sexual assault each year in the U.S. This means a sexual assault occurs every 98 seconds.
However, most sexual assaults are not reported to police. The agency estimates that only 230 of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported.
“We know that the majority of victims of sexual assault do not report these crimes to police,” Lisa Tumbleson, director of education and outreach at Safe Berks, said in a news release.
Friday’s event was to recognize and remember all of the victims and let them know that Safe Berks is available to help them, she said.
Tumbleson said the pinwheels are a sign of hope.
“There is something very calming and meditative about watching a pinwheel spin,” Tumbleson said. “We are hoping that survivors of sexual assault will hear a message that strikes a note with them, and that they will take time to breathe and heal.”