Yes, kids. It's that time of year again. The time of year where I woo you with adorable animals in inappropriate footwear, and manipulate you into believing that they'll be at the Walk.

If you know me at all, you know that I love my job and that I am so proud to work for what I believe is one of the finest agencies in the nation working on the cutting edge of sexual violence prevention and intervention. What you might not know, is why. Let me tell you a little bit about what my amazing coworkers have done this past year, and what your donation supports:

• A number of BARCC staff completely updated and re-wrote the in-service training curriculum for all veteran police officers in MA, the initial training for new recruits in the academy, and the 40-hour certification for sexual assault investigators, so that law enforcement in MA will have the most up-to-date and comprehensive training on sexual violence. 
• Other colleagues are in the process of creating a website for survivors of sexual violence that will be a one-stop clearinghouse for all the forensic information (about evidence collection kits, toxicology screens, etc.) and questions that an individual might have in the aftermath of sexual violence. The existing websites provide information that is fragmented, out-of-date, or incorrect.
• Our Executive Director worked with the MA Children's Advocacy Centers and MA Alliance for Children to save the MA Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program for adults and children from being eliminated by budget cuts. The program, which provides specialty forensic nursing services to adult and child survivors of sexul violence, has a conviction rate of nearly 90% in cases that go to trial where SANE nurses have collected evidence.
• Our Youth Outreach Coordinator developed, implemented, and is in the process of evaluating, a 10-week intensive curriculum for teens on sexual violence prevention, which will be the first of its kind designed to be implemented in an urban setting with youth who may be at high-risk to witness or experience violence.
• I have been working for over a year with a community in the aftermath of a very public conviction of a coach/teacher for the assaults of a number of students. That process has resulted in a half-day workshop for parents and middle school students, and additional upcoming programming for parents and high school-age youth, and what I hope will become a model for community crisis response.
• We are expanding our work with the MBTA and transit police (http://bit.ly/3zFIlJ) to include The Ride, the T's service for disabled individuals, to address high incidences of violence against folks with disabilities.
• Our Managing Director, in collaboration with several others, developed a curriculum for educators and parents of very young children to understand what sexual behaviors are developmentally expected and which are cause for concern, and how to intervene in these behaviors in a way that creates safety and helps to protect children from abuse.

All of these exciting developments are in addition to the services we have always provided: free and confidential counseling (up to 12 weeks, in addition to our 24-hour hotline and medical advocay), legal advocacy, case management, professional trainings, and education to survivors ages 12+, their loved ones, and communities. 

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Thank you.