Leading national anti-violence organization based in Harrisburg will host series of events on April 10th for “Building Connected Communities” campaign
HARRISBURG, PA – Respect Together, formerly the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, will be hosting a series of events on Wednesday, April 10th, in commemoration of the 23rd annual Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) campaign. For the past 23 years, Respect Together’s national division, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), has coordinated the theme, materials, and campaign for SAAM each April. This year’s theme, “Building Connected Communities,” focuses on the crucial role of inclusive, equitable, and connected communities in preventing sexual abuse, assault, and harassment.
The series of events will kick off on the evening of April 9th with lighting the PA State Capitol Building teal, the color that represents sexual violence prevention. On the morning of April 10th, Respect Together’s state division, the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), will gather advocates from across the Commonwealth to advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment and call for an increase in state funding for rape crisis centers. PCAR’s Advocacy Day will give the opportunity for state legislatures and leaders to hear directly from survivors and staff from sexual assault service providers about the devasting impact of level funding from the Commonwealth as well as cuts to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding.
Following Advocacy Day at the PA Capitol, Respect Together will welcome guests to its Riverfront Office from 2 to 4 p.m. for an informal meet-and-greet with staff. Respect Together’s three-floored building at 2101 North Front Street, Building Two, houses the organization’s national and state divisions, including its extensive library collection, the world’s largest specialized collection of resources on sexual violence. Visitors will be offered tours of the building, and past SAAM campaign materials and resources will be on display.
“This year’s ‘Building Connected Communities’ theme created the perfect opportunity for us to open our doors to our local community,” said Respect Together CEO Yolanda Edrington. “Respect Together has been leading efforts in the state for nearly fifty years, and almost twenty-five years ago, we opened our national division, which is unique among its many Washington or New York City-based peers for being located in Central PA.”
Edrington continued, “For too long, we’ve been one of the area’s best-kept secrets, a leading national organization working to end sexual abuse, assault, and harassment tucked amongst the many local and statewide agencies in Harrisburg. We want our neighbors to know who we are, we want them to know Respect Together is here to be a resource to our community just as we are providing our expertise across the U.S. and to countries around the globe.”
On the evening of April 10th,the day’s events will close out with an exclusive reception hosted at Historic King Mansion to mark SAAM and honor Respect Together’s staff who have contributed decades of work in communities across Pennsylvania and throughout the country. The event will also serve as an official welcome to Yolanda Edrington, who became CEO in January.
This day of events will be the first series of high-profile events for the organization since rebranding and changing its name from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape last August.
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ABOUT RESPECT TOGETHER
Together with its main divisions, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) and the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), Respect Together supports survivors, promotes research, identifies best practices, and shapes public policy. Our mission is to disrupt inequity and mobilize service providers, communities, and leaders to create and uphold safe, equitable communities with a culture of respect for all people. Learn more: www.respecttogether.org
