Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center, in conjunction with the Alachua County Coalition Against Sexual Violence (ACCASV), would like to invite local community organizations and businesses to sign on as supporters of the 2020 “Start by Believing” campaign.
In April, ACCASV successfully launched the first annual community-wide Start by Believing campaign as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Start by Believing is an international campaign that began in 2011 by End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI). The campaign invites community members to sign a pledge that states, “My name is (blank). When someone tells me they were raped or sexually assaulted, I start by believing.”
ACCASV is pleased to announce that out of 36 participating states in the US, Gainesville was the second top contributing city for signed pledges (with over 200 submissions). For the 2020 Start by Believing campaign, ACCASV’s goal for signed pledges in Gainesville is 1,000. The next annual pledge drive will kick off in April 2020.
Alachua County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center and ACCASV would like to thank the following organizations for signing on as supporters of the 2019 Start by Believing campaign: the Alachua County Commission, Alachua County Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Alachua County Fire Rescue, Alachua County School Board, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Arbor House, Child Advocacy Center, City of Gainesville, Civic Media Center, Alachua Chapter of Days for Girls International, Elder Options, Equality Florida, Florida Department of Children & Families (Northeast Region), Gainesville Police Department, Green Dot Gainesville, High Springs Police Department, Partnership for Strong Families, Meridian Behavioral Healthcare, Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network, River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding, Santa Fe Police Department, University of Florida Child Protection Team, University of Florida Health, and Village Counseling Center.
For more information, and agencies interested in becoming 2020 campaign supporters, contact ACCASV Chair Jessie Lazarchik at 352-264-6767 or jlazarchik@alachuacounty.us.