“In the 35-plus years of The Center's existence, progress has been made around the issue of sexual violence” said Ivonne Zucco, Executive Director of The Center. “However, there is still so much work to do, and the partnership of organizations like The Community Fund of Darien makes our continued efforts possible.”
Over the last year alone, The Center served more than 17,000 individuals in Lower Fairfield County. The Center’s counseling, advocacy, and prevention education programs work together to create a safety net for Lower Fairfield County residents. The funding from these two organizations will help ensure that the following programs of The Center remain available:
- Free 24/7 Hotline Services, in both English and Spanish
- Free individual crisis counseling and support groups for survivors and their families
- Sexual violence prevention education to youth in kindergarten through college, and the community at large
- The Center’s participation on two teams that provide integrated, cross-disciplinary response to allegations of child sexual abuse
- 19 percent of Connecticut residents have experienced a sexual assault in their lifetime
- 14 percent of Connecticut residents have experienced childhood sexual assault
- One in four girls and one in six boys will become a victim of sexual assault before the age of 18
- Over 90 percent of the time the perpetrator is someone the child knows and trusts
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