Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre

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306-244-2294
24-Hour Crisis Line

306-244-2224

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January 2021 Newsletter

COVID-19 Update

New year, same COVID-19 restrictions (for now!). Our office will remain closed to the public to keep our staff, clients, and community safe. But rest assured; we are still here for YOU, just from a bit more of a distance. Telephone counselling appointments, our 24-hour crisis line, and our virtual public education will continue. Read our full service restrictions at SSAIC.ca/covid-19.

SSAIC is proud to have remained available to survivors throughout the pandemic in one way or another, and we plan to keep it that way.

Connect with us at our office (306-244-2294) or on our social media accounts @SSAIC1 to stay engaged!

Our website is also a great resource for survivors and allies alike; check out our Survivor’s Toolkit for some handy coping strategies, or our Virtual Group Sessions for a 10-minute session on trauma.

What’s New at SSAIC

Our Holiday Giving Campaign 2020 was incredibly successful, bringing in $15,262 in the month of December, which far exceeded our fundraising goal! Our heartfelt thanks and physically-distanced embrace goes out to YOU. Thank you so much to the community of supporters who have trusted us with their donations and support us so that we can continue to support survivors of sexual violence in the Saskatoon community.

Supporting Survivors of Sexualized Violence Training

Our next two offerings of “Supporting Survivors of Sexualized Violence Training” are coming up fast! Join us for 2 hours or a full 6 hours to learn about communication skills, support tools, and local referral information for survivors of sexualized violence. Become the best support person you can be! Fit for all levels of support people, from general community members to students to professionals, and everyone in between.

Register alone or with your coworkers online here, or visit SSAIC.ca/SST for more information.

Entertainment & Learning

Believing rape myths (like this one, for example) is dangerous and damaging—so long as society believes these myths, survivors of sexualized violence face difficulties coming forward and seeking the help they need.

What is a rape myth?

We’re glad you asked. Rape myths are false beliefs about sexualized violence that work to excuse sexualized violence and create hostility toward survivors. There are so many of them, and they are so prevalent in our society, that it’s easy to accept this misinformation as truth.

To learn more about rape myths, visit our webpage Sexualized Violence 103: Debunking Rape Myths.

On January 18th, also known as Blue Monday, the Native Women’s Association of Canada shared an amazing list of culturally safe resources to access to support your mental health! Read what they had to say:

“There are many culturally-safe resources available for you and your loved ones today and beyond – we’ve shared some of them below.

The Hope for Wellness Helpline offers immediate help to all Indigenous peoples across Canada.
Counselling is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. 1-855-242-3310

NWAC’s team of in-house Elders are here to support you, offering support and building resiliency.
They are available Monday–Friday, from 9–11 a.m. EST and 1–3 p.m. EST.
Toll Free: 888-664-7808

Talk4Healing provides 24/7 culturally sensitive counselling, advice and support to Indigenous women in Ojibway, OjiCree, Cree, English, and French 1-855-554-4325 http://talk4healing.com

Kids Help Phone provides 24/7 anonymous and non-judgemental support to youth and teens in both English and French.
1-800-668-6868 http://kidshelphone.ca.”

Sexualized Violence in the News

Recognizing the Cycle of Traffickers, Hope Restored Canada

Luring is known as the first step in the cycle of trafficking. The trafficker will assess and target the person. Traffickers will commonly prey on those socially marginalized, individuals with history of trauma or abuse, individuals who are in desperation and unhappy with their current life situation -these are few examples with many other possible contributing factors. Read more…

So many files, Saskatchewan internet child exploitation unit has to prioritize: Lambie, Global News

“Luring investigations were quite high … I’m going to attribute that, just myself, to probably everybody being at home. The pedophiles are at home and the kids are at home. They’ve got this Internet platform where they’re all going to mingle and, of course, all the offences are going to stem from that,” Scott Lambie said. Read more…

‘Quiet revolution’ inspired by Regina’s #MeToo movement underway, say advocates, CBC News

Advocates say ripples of change are still happening months after public reckoning on sexual harassment. Lisa Miller wants survivors of sexual violence who shared their stories during Regina’s #MeToo movement to know they didn’t speak out in vain. Read more…

From our Feeds

Ways to Give to SSAIC

Looking for ways to give to SSAIC? Click any of the options below to get started!

  • Becoming a recurring donor. This is the most helpful kind of donation we can receive, as it helps us consistently plan for the future with reliable donations monthly or annually. All donations are greatly appreciated.
  • Bring your recyclables to SARCAN. By using the code “I believe you” at the Drop-n-Go stations or at the register, you can donate your recycling funds straight to SSAIC and protect the environment all at once!
  • Shop our survivor-themed merchandise. Our online store is fully stocked with plenty of our survivor phrase t-shirts, sweatshirts, and mugs – order yours straight to your door, or come by our office downtown for contactless pickup.
  • Fundraise on our behalf. COVID-19 has impacted us all, and SSAIC is relying on our community supporters now more than ever. If you’re interested in raising money on our behalf, get in contact with our office to discuss opportunities!

Join us on Social Media

@SSAIC1 on Facebook and Instagram

Stay safe and healthy!

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September 2019 Newsletter

SSAIC Newsletter

 


We NEED to keep pushing for judicial education on sexual assault
Bill C-337 would ensure lawyers commit to mandatory sexual assault training before becoming federal judges. The bill did not make it past the Senate before the current  session ended but all parties have committed to including Bill-337 in their 2019 election platforms.
Meanwhile there is another way to push for access to better justice for survivors; bring the legislation home to your province or territory. Urge your representative to adopt mandatory education on sexual assault for lawyers applying to become provincial or territorial judges. Sign this letter for your representative.

Together we can continue to support survivors of sexual violence and build the gender equality movement in Canada. 


Group programming for women starts up again:
Date and Time: September 5, 1:30 – 3:30
You must have completed one intake session with an SSAIC counsellor in order to participate.


September 30 is Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters

SSAIC recognizes the importance of the colonial legacy and the impacts of Residential schools. September 30 was chosen because it is the time of year in which children were taken from their homes to residential schools.
Orange Shirt Day is also an opportunity for First Nations, local governments, schools and communities to come together in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. Get involved – find out more

 

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May 2019 Newsletter

Welcome to this special edition of SSAIC’s Monthly Newsletter!

It’s been an exciting month for us, as we received funding from Justice Canada for a special project launching for Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2019, happening May 27-31.

We’ve recognized at SSAIC that we need to do better in our service provision for LGBTQ2S members in our community — after all, we are here to serve EVERYONE in Saskatoon, and we want to remove as many barriers as possible when it comes to accessing our services.

For many people within the LGBTQ2S community there are unique barriers such as:

  • Binary language (men vs. women) may exclude non-binary people from feeling they can access services
  • A general lack of LGBTQ2-specific supports and resources; limited or non-existent treatment programs
  • Fear of service termination or discrimination around providing their legal name/sex vs. their correct name and gender
  • Anxiety around engaging with a new service provider; fear of discrimination, being misgendered, or being turned away

So, over the next few months, we’ll be revamping our public education materials and website to ensure LGBTQ2S inclusive language is the standard and checking that our internal policies follow best practices for LGBTQ2S inclusive service provision.

Pride Festival in Saskatoon is just around the corner — learning about the particular ways in which sexual violence affects these vulnerable community members has never been more timely, and learning about this topic makes you a stronger, more informed ally.

In the meantime, through our funding from Justice Canada, we’ve partnered with OUTSaskatoon to create two new brochures:

  • The Intersection of Gender Identity & Violence in the LGBTQ2S Community
  • The Intersection of Sexual Orientation & Violence in the LGBTQ2S Community

These will be available for download on a special LGBTQ2S page on our website, as well as our general resources page as of June 5, 2019.

To help other non-profits and service providers improve their LGBTQ2S inclusivity practices, SSAIC will be co-hosting a Lunch and Learn with OUTSaskatoon on Thursday, May 30 in the YWCA Studio. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.  Attendees will learn appropriate terminology, rates of sexual violence throughout the LGBTQ2S community, how to support queer survivors of sexual violence, and best practices in creating programming, outreach, and general services. Attendees will also receive resources from SSAIC and OUTSaskatoon that will aid them in increasing their knowledge and in creating inclusive environments for queer survivors. Visit the event page for more information or to register.

Only a few seats remain. Bring all of the questions you’ve been afraid to ask — this is a safe space!

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April 2019 Newsletter

SSAIC Newsletter

Welcome to the April edition of the SSAIC monthly newsletter. We hope you had a restful holiday weekend.

This month we are happy to share some new blog posts on the topic of consent. Stephanie Locke (MSW/RSW), a member of our counselling team, has written two in-depth posts on the basics of consent and affirmative consent. We get a lot of questions on the topic, and Steph took some time to really break it down. If you’re more of a visual learner, check out this hilarious and informative video that’s been making the rounds for a few years.

SSAIC would also like to welcome Morgan Price, BSW/RSW, to her full-time role as counsellor and program coordinator for our long-running child sexual abuse prevention program, I’m the Boss of Me.

Read on for more program updates and general information— thank you for being a part of our online community!

  • New First Responder to Sexual Assault training course dates for 2019-20 have been scheduled. If you are someone who wants to learn how to better support survivors of sexual violence, this course is for you! Visit our website for more information.
  • SSAIC’s child sexual abuse prevention program, “I’m the Boss of Me”, completed its 13th successful season thanks to the support from our 42 volunteers!

3,368 Grade 4 students from 128 classrooms in the Saskatoon Public and Catholic systems were happy to meet our puppets and learn about their right to say no to unwanted touch, and who to ask for help when someone violates their body autonomy.

Not sure how to have the consent conversation with your children? This short, fun, informative video will get you started!


April 7 – 13 was National Volunteer Week, and SSAIC would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the volunteers who support the organization: Our Board of Directors, who help to shape the mission and vision with their expertise; our puppeteers, who donate their time to child sexual abuse prevention; and to our graphic design and fund development volunteers who lend us their talents and skills.

SSAIC is a stronger, more effective organization because of your contributions to the work we do!


Stay tuned: Sexual Assault Awareness Week is May 12 – 18 in the province of Saskatchewan. Our provincial body, Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan will be making a big announcement on Monday, May 13.

 

Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre

SSAIC is a Saskatoon-based, non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to taking a leadership role in responding to sexualized violence in our community.

SSAIC acknowledges that we operate on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place.

201 - 506 25th Street East
Saskatoon, SK S7K 4A7

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