April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) – a time to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence.

Sexual violence affects people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.  Nearly 20% of the population has experienced some form of sexual assault in their lifetime, according to a report by the US Department of Justice.

This April, its time to start a dialogue, and the topic of the conversation is healthy sexuality.  This year’s SAAM campaign, “It’s Time…to talk about it,” encourages communities and individuals to join the conversation on how we connect and respect one another in order to prevent sexual violence.

The Avalon Center wants to invite everyone to get involved in our April SAAM events and help us spread the word that sexual assault is not ok and we are here and ready to talk about it.

• See our clothesline project at the Vanity Fair Mall in our Second Chance store or at the Cumberland County Justice Center
• Join us to eat at Ruby Tuesdays in Crossville every Friday in April, where a portion of your meal proceeds will be given back to Avalon to support the programs and services we offer to sexual violence victims.
• See our Awareness Billboards in Cumberland, Fentress, and Bledsoe Counties
• Join us to honor Denim Day on April 27th.  Wear your jeans to work, school, etc to join in a protest of an Italian High Court ruling in 1999 that overturned a rape conviction because the victim’s denim jeans were too tight.  Women of the Italian legislature were enraged about the decision and protested by wearing jeans to work.  The protest spread quickly to the Italian public and, since then, throughout the world.

If you know a victim of sexual violence, here’s how you can be of help: Listen – if a victim is ready to talk, let her/him know that you will listen without judgement; Believe – let him/her know that you do believe them; Don’t blame – victims often blame themselves, and the violence is NOT their fault; Refer – let the victim know that there is help available through the Avalon Center.  Avalon Center can provide further referrals to other agencies in other cities or states if necessary.

Call our crisis line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-641-3434 or use our new confidential on-line chat available through this website.