After the crowds of sale shoppers have torn through retailers in North America, unpacking their trove of treasures successfully brought home after yet another Black Friday and Cyber Monday, then comes GivingTuesday.
For the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, is the day they launch their annual fundraiser. Last year, their 50-day fundraising campaign raised nearly $2,000 more than the $50,000 goal. Now, to keep up with cost increases and demand for services, the fundraiser lasts 55 days for $55,000, specifically for the Victoria Sexual Assault Clinic.
B次元官网网址淭his year the area of greatest need for us is our clinic,B次元官网网址� said Carissa Ropponen, the communications manager of the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre. B次元官网网址淲e want to ensure that clinic will stay open, so we really wanted to focus this year on that need, especially as weB次元官网网址檝e been receiving more requests for support.B次元官网网址�
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The clinic opened nearly three years ago, partnering with Island Health and police detachments to centralize services in a private location for the victims of sexual assault. Anyone can access the clinic 24 hours a day, all year B次元官网网址榬ound, for the sexual assault response team, medical and forensic exams, help reporting to police, crisis support and counselling.
Before the clinic, sexual assault victims could only get immediate care from the hospitalsB次元官网网址� emergency room or the police station.
B次元官网网址淲e werenB次元官网网址檛 reaching all of the people we could reach. For many people, a hospital or an emergency wait room is not the best option for them, and they wonB次元官网网址檛 go or they might show up and leave if the wait is too long,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e afraid to go to the police station or are apprehensive, which is understandable after having experienced a traumatic assault.B次元官网网址�
Since 2015, demand for service has increased by 154 per cent. The Victoria Sexual Assault Centre has been serving Greater Victoria for more than 35 years, and a sexual assault clinic has been B次元官网网址渁 dream of the centre and communityB次元官网网址� for 25 of those years, Ropponen said. But the clinic doesnB次元官网网址檛 receive core funding, and to keep the dream alive, the majority of their financial support comes from individual donations.
B次元官网网址淎s more people hear about the clinic, more people feel they can reach out for support directly after a sexual assault, we have more people calling us wanting to access the clinic,B次元官网网址� Ropponen said. B次元官网网址淲e want to make sure that service remains available to them.B次元官网网址�
On Nov. 27, all donations to the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre B次元官网网址� up to $2,000 B次元官网网址� will be matched by local sponsors.
For the fifth year in Canada, GivingTuesday is a movement in response to the hordes of consumerism, with 6,000 Canadian charities, businesses and organizations asking everyone to give back.
In the Capital Regional District, more than 120 organizations are partners with GivingTuesday. In 2017, 1,650 poutines were sold for charity in Victoria.
This year, the University of Victoria also hosts its sprinkles-related fundraiser for GivingTuesday, where students give donations in return for hot chocolate (with whipped cream and sprinkles, of course!).
B次元官网网址淭he world has seen a particularly challenging year in 2017, from natural disasters to divisive global events. One way to reunite is by celebrating our shared values: empathy for the challenges of others and our desire to help those in need. Millions of simple acts of giving, all added together, amount to real impact,B次元官网网址� reads .
READ MORE: B次元官网网址楾is the day and the season for giving
@KeiliBartlett
keili.bartlett@blackpress.ca
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