You can help victims of sexual violence in our community
Moving to Santa Fe without knowing a soul can be a recipe for loneliness or an opportunity to meet new people. I moved to Santa Fe in 2019, just before the pandemic hit. I was just feeling settled in my new house and ready to see more of New Mexico when the world shut down. Unable to explore local restaurants and social/cultural events and feeling rather powerless, I decided to learn more about local community organizations.
I thought a lot about what I might have to give. After working for years as a sexual assault nurse examiner in Los Angeles I felt like I had something to give to survivors but wasn’t prepared to carry a pager and rush out in the middle of the night anymore. With a little Googling, I came across Solace Sexual Assault Services (findsolace. org) which has been serving the local community for 50 years. It formerly was the Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center.
Almost everyone in the U.S. has been affected either directly or indirectly by sexual violence. New Mexico has the seventh-highest rate of sexual violence in the U.S.
The Solace prevention and education team is out in the community every day trying to reduce that number by providing sexual violence prevention programs in schools and community organizations.
Solace is a nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center, with a facility that houses forensic interviewers, advocates, therapists, sexual assault nurse examiners, and law enforcement. This one-stop shop makes receiving help much easier for patients in a manner that restores dignity, strength, resilience.
While the media focuses primarily on female survivors, almost 40% of patients treated at Solace are male and almost 5% identify as nonbinary. Solace is a space that feels safe and welcoming for all people regardless of gender.
Please consider getting involved:
◆ Stay informed: Learn about consent and teach your children and grandchildren. Keep apprised of legislative efforts and call your representatives.
◆ Spread the word: Help in our education efforts and build our donor base.
◆ Follow Solace on social media and help amplify our message: facebook.com/SolaceCrisis TreatmentCenter; instagram.com/ solacesexualassaultservices; linkedin. com/company/solace-sexual-assaultservices.
◆ Sign up for our newsletter and forward the emails to others who may
be interested.
◆ Volunteer: There are many options. Volunteer advocates respond via phone or face to face to help clients navigate resources on nights or weekends when Solace is closed. The expected time commitment is one week per month (approximately three to five calls per week).
Administrative help is needed. Cover staff absences at the front desk when staff are out for meetings, training, conferences, sick leave or vacation. The time varies from one to two hours a day for a lunch break to a full day. Any help is appreciated.
Become a board member: The basic time commitment is four hours a month, more when we are preparing a fundraiser.
Host a friendraiser: Throw a party at Solace for like-minded individuals that want to learn more about the organization and how you can support us. The group will have an opportunity to tour the facility and speak to knowledgeable staff and board members.
Sponsor us: We are always looking for individuals, organizations and businesses to sponsor our virtual race or offer to match donations during our giving campaigns.
Donate: While Solace receives some money from the government to treat patients, there is little money available for prevention, education or everyday operational expenses. Our services rely on private donations to fill the gap. In July we are having a virtual race (No actual running involved!) fundraiser.