HomeMy WebLinkAboutSexual Assault Awareness Month-April 2026City of Port Orchard
216 Prospect Street Port Orchard, WA 98366
cityhall@portorchardwa.gov I (360) 876-4407
www.portorchardwa.gov
PROCLAMATION
ORCHARD.
WHEREAS, Rebuilding Hope Sexual Assault Center was incorporated in 1975 as Pierce County Rape
Relief, and is one of the longest continuously -operating community sexual assault centers in Washington
State; and
WHEREAS, Rape Awareness Week was established in 1979 by the Washington Coalition of Sexual
Assault Programs, expanded to Sexual Assault Awareness Month in the late 1990s, and was officially
recognized in 2009 by President Obama for the month of April; and
WHEREAS, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost half of all
women and almost one in four men in the United States experience sexual assault, and at least half of our
LGBTQIA2S+ community is sexually assaulted, and at least one in four girls and as many as one in six boys are
sexually abused before turning eighteen; and
WHEREAS, increased awareness around the prevalence of sexual violence has improved our
communities' response to sexual assault and abuse, but intersecting forms of oppression continue to result in
victimization; and
WHEREAS, continued efforts to increase awareness about how sexual violence impacts individuals,
institutions, and communities are critical to dismantling the myths, beliefs, behaviors, and systems that
promote sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, partnerships with local governments, philanthropists, and community -based
organizations have supported Rebuilding Hope's delivery of 24/7 victim -survivor advocacy and trauma -
focused therapy services as well as prevention education curricula to thousands of youth and adults to
identify the signs of unhealthy behaviors and relationships, build skills for healthy boundaries and
communication, and stop sexual violence before it happens; and
WHEREAS, with more than 50 years of dedicated service as Pierce County's designated sexual assault
center and three years of service as Kitsap County's designated sexual assault center, Rebuilding Hope
remains committed to its mission to provide support, promote healing, and partner to end sexual violence.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Robert Putaansuu, Mayor of the City of Port Orchard, do
hereby proclaim April 2026 as:
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
in the City of Port Orchard and residents to seek information, education, and support related to sexual assault
and abuse.
oO�`�QQRTOr,°�'��.
��OaPORA F•• ,',,�
SEAL
°.may •�MBER�V``Q
ned this 23 day of March 2026
Robert Putaansuu, Mayor