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ALPENA -- Join Hope Shores Alliance this April in bringing awareness to Sexual Assault Awareness Month through education, community and empowerment.
HSA has partnered with libraries across the service area to bring "Everyday Advocate Community Learning Program: Sexual Violence" to the public and HSA has partnered with Alpena Community College to hold space to honor survivors of sexual violence at the annual candlelight vigil. This month-long effort focuses on empowering community members to believe, support, and validate survivors of sexual violence while holding perpetrators accountable.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center's 2023 theme for SAAM is "Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity." This campaign is about making connections with community, history and individuals by recognizing how issues of violence are connected and how pivotal it is to end all forms of violence in order to hold perpetrators of sexual violence accountable.
"The NSVRC's focus is connecting the work we do with our community in order to move toward ending violence across communities," Sexual Assault Program Coordinator Paige Allia said. "We've partnered with libraries across our five-county service area to bring a free learning program to support anyone who would like to have more tools and knowledge in supporting survivors of sexual violence in order to create safer, equitable, and more just communities."
"The content of these learning programs is heavy but so important if we want to make positive change in our communities," Sexual Assault Program Social Worker Emily Klein said.
The ACC and HSA candlelight vigil will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 27 in ACC's Van Lare Hall Commons to hold space for all survivors of sexual violence across all identities including those who have been lost to violence. Making this connection to oppression and the underlying causes of sexual violence is critical in making lasting change and this cannot be done without recognizing injustice.
The public is welcometo attend in person and portions of the vigil will also be livestreamed on Facebook.
Join HSA at the following locations to learn about being an everyday advocate by bringing attention to sexual violence and becoming stronger advocates for survivors in our communities: Alpena County Library: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 29; Alcona County Library-Harrisville: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 6; Robert Parks Library: 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Thursday, April 13; and Presque Isle District Library: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 19.
Event registration is not required. Some educational content related to sexual violence may be triggering or upsetting to some viewers. For more information, visit the HSA Facebook page or contact Allia at pallia@hopeshores.org.