As promised in January, Caroline Markel is back for her monthly episode on SASS. Caroline Markel (no relation to myself, at least that we know of!) is the CEO of Safe in Harm’s Way, a non-profit organization dedicated to “providing online trauma-informed resources to survivors, their children, and pets, while identifying the unique needs based on race and identification.” (source: SafeinHarmsWay.org website homepage).

This month, Caroline shares the purpose and mission behind Safe’s in Harm’s Way, while also giving us even more insight into the reason she started this organization: her own rape and trafficking nightmare at the hands of her fiancé. Caroline struggled for months to find housing, and to get a foothold on what would eventually become her new life—creating a thriving non-profit to help others who find themselves at the crossroads of a new life, but without the frustration and fears of finding shelter and resources to start their new lives.

Caroline and I discuss the multitude of dynamics on being a victim and survivor, and what it’s like to be on that healing journey, with the importance of being involved with an organization that is trauma informed.

Safe in Harm’s Way is always looking to provide resources through vigorous advertising and social media campaigns all over the country. To do so requires a great amount of funding and support. If you are in a place where you could provide any amount of monetary support, please go to www.safeinharmsway.org, and look for the donate button. Your help will go to providing advocacy, lodging, and many other forms of assistance to victims and survivors of interpersonal violence, including domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault. And your donation would be greatly appreciated!

As always, Sexual Assault Survivor Stories reminds you to do your part to help bring justice to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault; one way you can do this is to…Start By Believing. Because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. (SASS is in alignment with EVAWI’s Start By Believing campaign, and believes that it is a crucial aspect to being trauma informed in interviewing and investigating in cases of interpersonal violence.)

Here are some resources to help you understand more about bringing just to victims and survivors, as well as what it means to be trauma informed:

https://markel-consulting.com

https://safeinharmsway.org

https://startbybelieving.org

https://evawi.org

https://projectcallisto.org

https://projectbeloved.org

https://unspokenboundaries.com

https://createpeacefulsolutions.com

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