April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) & Child Abuse Prevention Month

Hope House is working with community partners on a number of awareness projects this April.  We'll add information as we get it so please check back for more information on what we are doing for Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. 
Wear Jeans on April 29th for Denim Day
Denim Day is in honor of a young Italian woman who was raped by her driving instructor. He was convicted, but he appealed and the judges overturned the conviction. The judges decided that "...because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape, but consensual sex." Denim Day was created as a message in protest of victim-blaming. We need to start by believing survivors and not blame them for the sexual assault that someone else committed against them. 

You can still participate in Denim Day while at home! Wear jeans and consider making a donation to Hope House via Facebook or Paypal. You could even take a photo of yourself wearing jeans and post it on Facebook or Instagram with the reason why you're wearing jeans. Please tag us @hopehousescw. Thank you for your support!
The April 2 Talk at the Baraboo Library has been cancelled.
 The What Were You Wearing? ​Rape Survivor Art Installation at UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County from April 20-24 has been cancelled.
Other Date-Specific Displays and Events
  • April 3: Join Hope House and others across the country in wearing blue for Wear Blue for Child Abuse Prevention Day.​
  • April 7: Join Hope House and others across the country in wearing teal for the national Sexual Assault Awareness Month Day of Action.​
  • April 9-30: For Child Abuse Prevention Month, Hope House has a blue pinwheel display on our front yard with yard signs. Stop by and take one home. Each pinwheel has a Darkness to Light (child sexual abuse prevention organization) card with a quote about kids on it.
  • April 22: UW-Platteville is hosting virtual Zoom events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. On April 22 at noon, one of our Youth Advocate/Educators will be on the call to talk about how Baraboo Sauk County campus students can access our services. 
Month-Long Activities
  • #30DaysofSAAM: Join Hope House in participating in the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's (NSVRC) #30DaysofSAAM. This popular online contest gives organizations and individual accounts a chance to win a prize pack every day. Here’s how it works: Each day in April, they’ll provide an open-ended prompt that participants respond to with a photo, collage, illustration, digital art, video, or other original content. NSVRC selects a daily prompt winner who will receive a Yes Means Yes tote bag, sticker pack, and keychain, and they’ll have their photo featured on our Instagram page for all to see. Everyone who participates every day in April will be entered into a drawing at the end of the month for the grand prize: a $200 Amazon gift card. Watch what Hope House posts on our Instagram page @hopehousescw.
  • We put teal and blue sashes around trees along the River Walk in Baraboo and along the path in Goeres Park in Lodi. These sashes have signs attached to them that bring awareness of sexual assault and child abuse and of Hope House services. More cities to be added soon!
  • Tune in to MAX FM 99.7, Wisconsin 106.1, WRJC 92.1, and Magnum area radio stations for PSAs about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month.
  • Check your area newspaper for our opinion pieces and letters to the editor on sexual assault and child abuse awareness and prevention.
Resources

​SAAM Church Bulletin Insert: Click here to download Hope House's church bulletin insert that you can use any week in April. ​
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The National Sexual Violence Resource Center

​The NSVRC is the go-to resource for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Their national theme this year is I Ask.

Check out their site for coloring pages, posters, a toolkit, handouts, social media guide and graphics, the #30DaysofSAAM Instagram contest, and more.
Start By Believing is a public awareness campaign designed by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI) to change the way we respond to rape and sexual assault in our communities.  Check out their website to make your personal commitment and to view their many campaign resources, such as printed materials, articles, talking points, proclamations, brochures, and promotional materials. 
Flip the Switch: Champion Gymnast, Aly Raisman announced a partnership with Darkness to Light through the Flip the Switch campaign. This campaign calls on all adults involved in youth sports to complete Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® training, with the online training offered at no cost. Learn more here. Want a shorter option? Darkness to Light is offering their ​Talking to Kids About Safety From Sexual Abuse training available at no charge by using code Talk2020. This training is ideal for parents and caregivers who may be home with children and have time to invest in learning more.
National Child Abuse Prevention Month from Child Welfare Information Gateway:

​The Child Welfare Information Gateway's National Child Abuse Prevention Month website has their 2019/2020 resource guide, tip sheets, protective factors vignettes, publications, video gallery, information on Adverse Childhood Experiences, and more!