LACASA Awarded CSX Community Service Grand to Better Address Needs of Sexual Assault Survivors

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                               
April 29, 2024                                                 
 
LACASA Awarded CSX Community Service Grant to Better Address Needs of Sexual Assault Survivors
Funds will be used to launch “Start By Believing” Campaign Locally
 
Howell, MI – LACASA Center is pleased to have been awarded a $5000 community service grant from CSX Corporation, one of the nation’s leading rail-based transportation companies.

LACASA, an independent non-profit based in Howell, empowers victims and survivors of sexual assault as well as advocates for systems change through its Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). The grant funds will be used to help SART launch a campaign to bring greater community awareness to sexual assault by changing the way society responds to victims. The program, called “Start by Believing,” is a global initiative founded by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) in 2011, and promotes a culture of support and empathy by encouraging individuals to believe and support victims when they come forward with their stories.

“A cultural shift begins with individual actions," says Sherry Boroto, LACASA Sexual Assault Response Team Manager. "When we start by believing, we lay the groundwork for a society that not only trusts and supports victims but actively works to prevent sexual assault.”
 
SART partners with law enforcement, the Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office, courts, medical professionals, and other human service agencies to promote victim safety and abuser accountability. The campaign, which will be unveiled later this year, will take a three-pronged approach, including building a supportive community for victims who disclose assault, improving responses from the professionals who deal with victims, and dispelling harmful myths about sexual assault in schools, workplaces, and community organizations.
 
“We’re so thankful to CSX for the opportunity to further our outreach and spread this message on a wider scale,” Boroto said.
 
The campaign will include videos, social media messaging, and other multimedia elements.
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ABOUT LACASA: LACASA Center provides comprehensive services for victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. This locally based nonprofit organization also spearheads county-wide education and awareness programs to help prevent abuse and keep our community safer. Learn more by visiting lacasacenter.org.

LACASA Awarded CSX Community Service...