CV Sexual Assault Services in need of volunteers

Coachella Valley Sexual Assault Services in Palm Desert gets 10 to 25 calls a day from rape survivors, police and local hospitals regarding sexual assaults.

“I am a survivor of rape. I was 12. A stranger came in at 6:30 in the morning with a knife and tied me, and he raped me,” said a 39-year-old victim.

“We see kids as young as 5. My oldest client was 66,” said program director Wynette Brenner. “If we get a call in Palm Springs, we’re there. If we get a call in Blythe, we’re there.”

With a staff of three and only 22 volunteers, the crisis center needs help to continue providing the desert with free resources including one-on-one counseling and support for rape victims and their families.

“This is not hard work, it’s heart work. It takes a special person to be with someone who was just sexually assaulted,” said Brenner.

To become a certified advocate for sexual assault victims you must be 18 years or older and complete a 52-hour training starting Oct. 6. Classes run for seven weeks on each Tuesday and Thursday.

Brenner also wants more men to take a stand against sex violence.

“If more men stand on the line, the front line with us, then more men are going to join. Sexual assault doesn’t only happen to women,” said Brenner.

CVSAS said if you are a victim call the police, get help and be patient with your recovery.

“It’s about asking questions and know we’re not alone and that we can move forward,” said a rape survivor.

For more information on volunteering opportunities, call the CVSAS office in Palm Desert at 760-568-9071.

If you know someone who is need of help, or you are a person in need of help, you can call the national 24-hour hotline number 1-(800) 656-4673.

For more information on donating to the center or volunteering visit www.sbsas.org