The first charity that we are featuring in our "Share the Love" Donation Contest is one that is near and dear to our hearts. We worked with The Cottage during our last fashion show and were really impressed by all of the work they do throughout Athens!
Want to know a little more information? Here is some information The Cottage directly gave us about the wonderful work they do with females and families around the area:
1.) What inspired you to start The Cottage?
In 1974, the Athens Rape Crisis Line was established in reaction to
the Holman-Sunset rapist by a group of female activist within the
Athens community. The Athens Rape Crisis Line was the first
anti-sexual assault organization formed in Georgia and was a founding
member of the Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault (GNESA).
Later, in 1990, the Rape Crisis Line received funding to hire staff
and open an office serving Clarke, Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene,
Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Oconee, and Walton counties. The
organization's name was changed to the Rape Crisis Center of Northeast
Georgia (RCC). Five years later the Rape Crisis Center relocated to
its current location behind the Athens Clarke County Police
Department. In addition, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE)
program began a partnership, the RCC, to provide forensic exams
on-site. Soon after, the Child Advocacy Program was added to
specifically serve child victims and their families.
In 1998, the RCC changed its name to the Sexual Assault Center of
Northeast Georgia, Inc. in an effort to encompass all survivors of
sexual violence. A few years later, the Center received a grant to
expand the Athens office to what it is today. In addition, The Family
Protection Center opened in 2005 in Clarke County to provide a single
location for the collaboration of many agencies that work with adult,
child and elderly victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and
child and elderly victims of neglect, or physical or sexual abuse. The
Cottage participates in this collaboration by conducting many services
to the victims of sexual assault and child sexual abuse at the Family
Protection Center.
The Cottage has undergone many expansions and contractions in the
staff and services in the past eight years. Recently, The Cottage
almost closed its doors to the community and other agencies it serves.
Thanks to the efforts of many committed community members The Cottage
was not closed, but has gained all new staff or Board of Directors in
the middle of the year 2007.
The Sexual Assault Center of Northeast Georgia changed it's name to
The Cottage, Sexual Assault Center and Children's Advocacy Center in
October of 2008. This was in celebration and commitment to continued
service to the community members of Clarke, Oconee, Madison and
Oglethrope Counties. The Cottage continues to have a 24/7 crisis
hotline. The Cottage works within the community with child abuse and
sexual assault prevention efforts. The Cottage also is involved in
fundraising and community awareness events.
The Cottage has evolved over the years and will continue to do so as
long as the Center exists. As long as there are individuals,
organizations, and agencies committed to ending violence in our
society and sexual violence in particular, The Cottage will be along
leading the fight against these injustices to our community.
2.) What is the one thing you would want the public to know about your
organization if you could say nothing else?
We hope to make the lessen the trauma associated with
the reporting of a sexual assault or child abuse. Our job is to help
the survivor and their loved ones begin the healing process.
3.) If someone wants to donate or contribute to your cause, what is
the best way or the thing you need to most?
• Snacks for child and adult clients, such as juice boxes,
bottles of water, non-perishable foods such as crackers, cookies,
individual macaroni and cheese, or cups of soup, etc.
• New stuffed animals for child clients of our center.
• Crafts, crayons, markers, etc. for children
participating in group activities at the center.
• Magazine subscriptions mailed to the
center for clients.
• Diaries for teen and adult clients in group therapy
through our center.
• Household items, such as toilet paper, paper towels,
hand soap, cleaning products, etc.
• House plants for the center.
• Plants and mulch for the gardens at the center.
• Fire Ant Killer for the children’s playground.
• Gas cards or bus passes are helpful for the center to
distribute to clients that are having difficulty going to therapy
appointments due to transportation issues.
Monetary Donations:
The Cottage pays approximately $55 per therapy session for each
client. $550 will pay for a victim of sexual abuse or assault to
receive 10 sessions of therapy.
$250 will pay for a week of an accompaniment advocate to be with a
client through a sexual assault examination during on nights and
weekends.
$500 will assist The Cottage in providing training to other agencies
involved in sexual assault, such as the District Attorney’s office,
Law Enforcement or the Department of Family and Children Services.
$250 will assist The Cottage in providing education and community
awareness of sexual assault to parent’s and teens within our service
area.
The Cottage is a non-profit agency and has 501 © 3 status. This means
that you may count monetary donations to the center as deductions on
your tax forms. Please ask a tax professional about further questions
on tax filing matters.
4.) National organization or charity that inspires you the most?
RAINN: Rape and Incest National Network: The national
coalition of sexual assault centers for the United States.
5.) How can students or members of the community get involved with your cause?
Hotline Volunteer: The Cottage is recruiting dedicated folks
searching for an opportunity to offer immediate help to those affected
by sexual assault. The Cottage has positions available for hotline
volunteers. A hotline volunteer would be required to participate in
specialized training and a criminal history check. A hotline
volunteer would need to be able to commit to nights and weekends of
their choice to be on call. The hotline volunteer will be able to
answer the hotline wherever they may be with a cell phone provided
from The Cottage to use while they are on call. Hotline volunteers
may expect calls relating to sexual assault information and referrals
along with the occasional crisis call. Hotline volunteers will be
trained in how to handle these situations with confidence. If you
feel that you are a person that can handle these issues and you have a
desire to work with those affected by sexual assault then this is an
opportunity for you.
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