Sonoma County’s rape crisis center celebrates 50 years with a look ahead

Verity, Sonoma County’s only rape crisis and counseling center. Culture shifts, obstacles and victories Throughout its 50-year history.

True to its name, the organization has evolved to support survivors of sexual assault and prevent future attacks; Its core mission remains unchanged: to prevent, intervene and cure.

On Saturday, the nonprofit will mark its golden anniversary with a special fundraising celebration. Executive director Rebecca Fein said a limited number of tickets, priced at $100, are still available for the event, which will feature prize giveaways, beverages, speakers, live music and dancing.

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The group was founded in 1974 when local sexual assault victims formed a support group in Sonoma County, founding member Suni Levi told The Press Democrat on Thursday. One of the topics the “feminist collective” discussed was the support that survivors needed at different stages after the attack.

“There was nothing back then,” said Levi, who was directly involved in the band until the late 1980s. He collaborated with Verity for many years while working as an interviewer and coordinator at the Redwood Children’s Center in Santa Rosa.

“We discussed it and then decided there needed to be services and worked to intervene where we thought it was important,” he added. “This led us to look at the nuts and bolts of what makes it so difficult for survivors to speak up and report.”

It started with services such as a 24/7 crisis line for which the collective trained themselves and providing emotional support during medical exams. They quickly began educating children about healthy boundaries in relationships and offering services in both Spanish and English.

Today, after several name changes, Verity still provides many of these services and is expanding some, such as consulting, to reach more people.

Recently Verity staff have been involved in rescue efforts. Three women believed to have survived human trafficking He was found at a suspected illegal massage parlor in Santa Rosa.

Verity’s work includes crisis response as well as prevention and education efforts in the community. From July 2023 to June 2024, Verity’s prevention team spoke to 1,193 elementary school students and nearly 4,900 middle and high school students in Sonoma County about age-appropriate lessons on topics like consent, according to a recently released Verity community impact report.

“It’s never too young to start this conversation in appropriate ways,” said Fein, the executive director.

Additionally, during this time period, 1,318 unique clients received attorney services, including support during interviews with law enforcement. During sexual assault investigations, the crisis line received 1,366 calls.

The organization also provided 154 individual breathwork sessions, the practice of using breath to improve mental and emotional health; 34 family counseling sessions; 16 therapy sessions for human trafficking survivors, according to the report.

“Verity is unique in our services…and critically important,” Fein said. “That’s a really important role: to make sure that those services are available and that we don’t cause further harm to individuals who have experienced sexual assault.”

A changing landscape

As Verity has changed over the years, so has the support environment for survivors; approaches and services focused more on the needs of survivors.

Law enforcement personnel are receiving more training, and some agencies, such as the Petaluma Police Department, are hiring Verity employees. Levi said that medical examinations are now performed in better environments, with practitioners who are more knowledgeable about trauma.

Levi said the change in dynamic is partly a result of Verity’s dedication to survivors and her work in the community, particularly to educating those institutions.

Reflecting on the early days, Levi said: There must be support for Verity’s employees, volunteers and collaborators the purpose behind their work.

“I don’t think people know how bad it is… How bad it is guides what best practice is,” Levi said. “The services you see now are all based on what is truly needed.”

Despite this growth in services, the work is far from over, Fein said.

“We would love to put ourselves out of business,” he said. “Our goal is to not have a job anymore. That everyone is extremely happy. “Nobody was traumatized.”

“There are systems we need to break down to prevent sexual assault.”

Fein, who became director last year, said his goals for Verity include expanding training in bystander intervention (as evidence shows a decrease in attacks in communities with more informed, more empowered bystanders) and diversifying the organization’s funding. Part of that effort includes increasing fundraising, which will be the focus of the upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.

Saturday’s event will be held at The Backdrop, 1455 Corporate Center Parkway in Santa Rosa, from 4 to 8 p.m.

The night will kick off with craft tables, hula hoops, face painting, a photo booth and a “giveaway raffle” where attendees can purchase tickets for a chance to win prizes such as restaurant gift cards, facials and gift baskets. Guests can also pay $20 to dive into the “libation pool” and receive a bottle of the same or higher value.

Several speakers will present, including children’s book author Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs, Sonoma County native who wrote the book “Where Hands Go: An Introduction to Safe and Unsafe Touch.”

Volunteers Michele Wood and Taylor Zajonc will receive the Volunteers of the Year award for their “exceptional service” on the crisis support line. Community Impact Award, which recognizes outstanding support for survivors. Cruel Kindness, a nonprofit organization serving victims of domestic violence who need help with their pets; Briana Garcia, domestic violence high-risk case manager for Solano, the Victim Empowerment Support Team, working in partnership with the Family Justice Center; and Oscar Villalobos Camps, victim advocate with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.

Fein, herself a former Verity volunteer, said the event, which ended with music and dancing, was a celebration of the workers and volunteers who support survivors and work every day to prevent sexual assault.

“The impact our team has on individuals is very tangible, immediate and truly life-saving,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at [email protected]. @madi.smals on X (Twitter).