In the video player: City of Tucson honors Sexual Assault Awareness Month
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — One in six women will be sexually assaulted during the course of her life, according to the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA).
It's one of the reasons increasing awareness of sexual assault in the community is vital, says SACASA Director, Katlyn Monje.
The organization, which served 1,613 survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones in the last fiscal year and provided nearly 4,000 crisis hotline and follow-up services during that same timeframe.
RELATED: "I survived him" Tucsonan shares story of survival, hopes for the future
It's one of the reasons SACASA holds its 'Dine Out for Safety' fundraising and visibility event each April, during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
“These statistics easily tell us a couple of things: many Tucsonans have been impacted by sexual violence, and many more remain at risk," said Monje.
"These numbers represent friends, family, coworkers, and other people from our own community who deserve an opportunity to heal from a trauma that never should’ve happened.”
While a staggering number of women experience sexual violence according to SACASA, it's a type of violence that they say disproportionately affects immigrants, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people living with disabilities.
On Wednesday, April 19, restaurants around the Tucson metro area will donate 20% of sales to SACASA. And SACASA assures diners that 100% of those proceeds will stay within the Tucson-area community they serve—providing therapy sessions, forensic exams and other support.
Monje says simply dining out at one of the particpating restaurants listed below is an easy way to provide positive support to survivors.
Participating Restaurants:
- Barrio Charro - 3699 N. Campbell Ave.
- Charro Vida - 7109 N. Oracle Rd.
- Crooked Tooth Brewing Co. - 228 E. 6th St.
- Dine Out for Safety with Alex Steiniger from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- El Charro Cafe
- Downtown location - 311 N. Court Ave.
- Oro Valley location - 7725 N. Oracle Rd.
- Ventana location - 6910 E. Sunrise Dr.
- Dine Out for Safety with Ashley Hawk from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Feast - 3719 E. Speedway Blvd.
- Dine Out for Safety with Jason Barr from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery & Bistro - 5845 N. Oracle Rd.
- LaCo Tucson - 201 N. Court Ave.
- Mama Louisa's Italian Restaurant - 2041 S. Craycroft Rd.
- Noble Hops
- Reid Park location - 445 S. Alvernon Way
- Oro Valley location - 1335 W. Lambert Ln.
- Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink - 101 E. Pennington St.
- The Monica - 40 E. Congress St.
- Dine Out for Safety with Heidi Alagha from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Transplant Pizza - 4605 E. Speedway Blvd.
- Vero Amore
- Plaza Palomino - 2920 N. Swan Rd.
- Dove Mountain location - 12130 N. Dove Mountain Blvd.
- Yellow Brick Coffee at The Benedictine - 800 N. Country Club Rd., Suite 3180
- Dine Out for Safety with Ryan Fish from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Dine Out for Safety with Jose Zozaya from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
——
Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
