TUCSON, ARIZ. (KGUN). — The annual Dine Out for Safety event is happening on Wednesday, April 16. Proceeds from 23 different restaurants throughout Tucson benefit survivors of sexual violence at the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault (SACASA).
SACASA supports those impacted by sexual trauma by providing free crisis advocacy, therapy, medical forensic evaluation, and recovery services. Sexual violence is any type of unwanted sexual contact, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
Katlyn Monje is the Director at SACASA and explains why it's so important to offer free services, “They end up bearing this really big responsibility to overcome and heal from what happened to them, and we never want finances to be a barrier to getting the help that they deserve. So our advocacy, the medical forensic exams, the therapy services, are all done completely free of charge.”
Participating Restaurants:
| Restaurant | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Amore – Dove Mountain (formerly Vero Amore – Dove Mountain, Tucson Wings and Indian Twist) | | X | X |
| Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy | | X | X |
| Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ | | X | X |
| Café 54 | | X | |
| Caps & Corks | | X | X |
| Charro Chico | X | X | |
| Charro Steak & Del Rey | | | X |
| Charro Vida | | X | X |
| El Charro Café – Downtown | | X | X |
| El Charro Café – Oro Valley | X | X | |
| El Charro Café – Ventana | | X | X |
| Feast | | X | X |
| Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery & Bistro | X | X | |
| JoJo’s Restaurant | | X | X |
| Mama Louisa’s Italian Restaurant | | X | X |
| Midtown Vegan Deli & Market | | X | X |
| Noble Hops | | X | X |
| Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink | | X | |
| The Broadway Beer & Wine Bar | | X | X |
| The Monica | X | X | |
| Transplant Pizza & Craft, A Modern Drinkery | | X | X |
| Vero Amore- Swan | | X | X |
| Yellow Brick Coffee – The Benedictine | X | X |
There are also raffle tickets available at these 23 restaurants. Monje says there are numerous different prizes, and one of the raffle ticket prizes is a $50 gift card to each participating restaurant.
Monje explains that advocates at SACASA are crucial for the help they provide, "“They will dispatch into the hospitals anytime a patient presents and reports that they were sexually assaulted and so they have the opportunity to do that immediate intervention and provide emotional support and help them understand what their rights are as a victim of a crime.”
The Dine Out for Safety event has been taking place for 26 years.
One in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18.
If you're interested in learning more about becoming an advocate, Monje says you can call them or find more information on their website.
SACASA is located at 1600 N. Country Club, Tucson, AZ 85716.
