You are not going to want to miss this!
Join us on Friday, May 25 for Respect Day. CASASC will be celebrating this annual day in City Hall in Red Deer. This is a free event that will feature music, dancing, information booths and a by donation barbeque
Everyone is welcome!
Wear your MADE TO RESPECT t-shirt
Together we can create a culture of #Respect
The provincial government proclaimed May as Sexual Violence Awareness month on May 1, 2018. Action is also being taken provincially to challenge attitudes, promote a culture of consent and raise awareness about sexual violence in Alberta.
To start the month, the province launched a new Commitment to End Sexual Violence. Developed through extensive consultation with dozens of front line providers, advocates and survivors, the commitment brings ten government ministries and community organizations together to deliver a coordinated, province wide response to address sexual violence in Alberta.
“Every Albertan deserves to live free from sexual harassment and assault,” said Premier Rachel Notley. “Sexualized violence is a crime of power and control, and governments have a duty to lead, to offer hope and healing to survivors, to make workplaces and campuses safe and to tackle the inequality at the root of this violence that most impacts women and girls.”
Throughout the month, the government will announce initiatives to support the commitment and build on actions taken to address and prevent sexual harassment and assault.
Since 2015 government has invested close to $52 million to support a range of programs and services to prevent sexual violence and support survivors in communities across Alberta.
“We are pleased to be a partner in the government’s commitment to prevent sexual violence and provide better support to those who are affected,” said Deb Tomlinson, chief executive director of the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services. “Sexual violence is a problem that affects all communities in our province and will require a united effort by government, community organizations and individuals to eliminate.”
Quick Facts:
Want to win a 12-day educational adventure to Central America?
Join the Go Across Travel campaign to raise funds for CASASC and the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC). Together we are aiming to raise funds towards a child trauma centre in Red Deer.
The contest opens on May 30th and you will have two months to raise as many funds as you can. It is open to young adults age 14 to 26.
Go Across Travel’s goal is to bring people together for the common good. They believe strongly in the philosophy of thinking beyond yourself, not only on your needs but of the needs of those less fortunate than you.
For contest details visit: https://goacrosstravel.com/contest
The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) recently received a donation from the TELUS Payday Lottery Committee for the No Secrets education program.
CASASC Executive Director Patricia Arango (left) accepted the $5,000 donation from TELUS Representative Marlene Duce (right) on April 13.
No Secrets is a personal safety program for children ages 5 to 9 with a focus on child sexual abuse prevention. No Secrets provides a forum from which children can discuss safe and unsafe touching, body parts including private areas, feelings and who you can tell.
The donation to the Kindergarten to Grade 4 sexual violence prevention program will be used towards program materials.
The Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) is the recipient of a provincial award recognizing leadership in sexual violence prevention.
CASASC team members attended the Inspiration Awards ceremony for Edmonton, central and northern Alberta at Government House in Edmonton on April 4.
A total of nine Inspiration Awards were presented by the Ministry of Community and Social Services to individuals and groups who demonstrated excellence in the areas of public education on healthy relationships, working across sectors to address violence and partnering with Alberta’s diverse communities.
The awards were presented by Irfan Sabir, Minister of Community and Social Services and Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Ron Orr was also in attendance.
CASASC received its’ group leadership award for offering innovative and comprehensive programs and services.
“They educate, support and empower individuals, families and communities regarding all aspects of sexual abuse and sexual assault,” said Ken Dropko, Executive Director of Family and Community Services in the Ministry of Community and Social Services during the ceremony. “They have created quality education programs, Culture of Respect principles with the IRespect campaign, and the Family Intervention Program. Other services include their one-on-one, group, pet and play therapy, the 24 Hour Crisis Line for Web/Text/Phone and the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).”
CASASC volunteer, educator and SART member Shalea Harder-Mah also received an Inspiration Award for leadership in sexual violence prevention – emerging excellence.
Harder-Mah was recognized for her passion in helping other affected by sexual violence.
“Shalea started the first Red Deer College Sexual Assault and Abuse Awareness Group and has managed the group ever since,” said Dropko. “In 2016, the group received special recognition from the Student’s Association of Red Deer College for their work…Shalea volunteers for several other crime prevention organizations and believes in building healthy and positive relationships.”
Other award recipients on April 4 included the Dr. Margaret Savage Crisis Centre, the Cold Lake High School’s Best Buddies program and Fossey, the Zebra Child Protection Centre service dog.
“Albertans have always stood up for their neighbours and worked together to support those in need,” said Sabir. “The Inspiration Awards recognize community leaders who set an extraordinary example to support those affected by violence and abuse. These awards are a way our government can say thank you for their efforts to make life better for all Albertans.”
In recognition of International Women’s Day, the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) and two third-year BScN students of RDC partnered together for This is What I Was Wearing When It Happened, a reflection event.
The thought provoking exhibit was held on March 8 at the Forum in Red Deer College.
The purpose of this reflection event was to bring awareness to the issue of victim blaming and the stigma surrounding women’s clothing as the reason why they were sexually assaulted.
The exhibit featured five live mannequins wearing various types of clothing victims were wearing at the time they were assaulted. This was meant to be a real life representation, a visual way to bring awareness around the still existing stigma.
This was the second year for the reflection event on International Women’s Day. Last year’s event at Parkland Mall featured over 300 pairs of shoes, each representing an Alberta woman who was missing or murdered. The shoe exhibit encouraged people to reflect on the lives of those women.
The Alberta Government is expanding front-line services across the province with a $8.1 million investment in the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (AASAS), to ensure survivors who take the brave step to come forward have the supports they need.
This funding announcement was made on March 7 in Edmonton.
As part of the AASAS membership, the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre will be one of the centres receiving increased funding.
Across the province, sexual assault centres and law enforcement are reporting increased demand for counselling services. The government-funded AASAS #IBelieveYou campaign against the backdrop of the global #MeToo movement, are starting to help survivors feel safe about reaching out for help.
“Courageous women in Alberta and around the world are finally breaking their silence and sharing their stories of sexual assault and harassment,” said Status of Women Minister Stephanie McLean. “We hear them and we stand with them. Today, we are taking action – funding more counselling and helping people navigate the court and police systems so all survivors are supported on their healing journey.”
Funding details:
Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, or so the saying goes. But are we really that different? When it comes to safety, the precautions women take to be safe after a fun night out are completely different than men.
This is what two Red Deer College (RDC) third-year BScN students found out after hosting an information and white board exercise at The Forum in RDC on January 30, 2018.
The purpose of the exercise was to raise awareness between the existing gender differences on what people do each and every day to stay safe.
There was great student participation during the white board exercise, said the two RDC students. The exercise allowed the pair to work within the student population, gather data, have meaningful discussions and bring awareness to issues surrounding sexual assault.
Female students indicated they do things like lock their doors, keep their cellphone available, “avoid dark alleys” and “don’t wear revealing clothing,” to be safe. Male students wrote things like use an uber or cab and “appear approachable.”
This event was a precursor to a reflection event planned for International Women’s Day also to be held at RDC. The This is What I Was Wearing When It Happened exhibit will bring awareness to the issue of victim blaming and the stigma surrounding women’s clothing as the reason why they were sexually assaulted.
Red Deer College (RDC) and the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) have solidified their goal of working together in the future.
RDC, CACAC, board members, representatives, key partners and guests attended the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on February. 8 at the Red Deer College Arts Centre.
This agreement states the CACAC and RDC will be exploring opportunities together in the future. RDC President Joel Ward and CACAC CEO Mark Jones alluded to these opportunities potentially including a child advocacy centre on campus and future post-secondary training, professional development and practicum placements.
The CACAC has been working in partnership with the Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre (CASASC) as a key partner for the past year. The CACAC opened their doors on November 29, 2017 and have already seen 40 cases. Other key partners with the CACAC include the RCMP, Alberta Health Services, Alberta Justice and Alberta Education.
This partnership shows commitment to exploring opportunities in Central Alberta which benefit children and families.
The 10th annual Red Deer Justice Film Festival (RDJFF) was held from January 25 to 27. The festival was held at the Welikolad Event Centre and showcased 12 films.
RDJFF is a non-profit event run through sponsorship and donations. It is also free to the public. The vision of the festival is promote awareness of global issues and activate our community through documentary films exploring a range of diverse topics, groups, and perspectives.
RDJFF also hosts a NGO Village where several non-profits set up booths in the theatre lobby to share information. CASASC was in attendance in the village for all three days, providing information to attendees and creating awareness of the issue of sexual assault.
