Sarah's House Child & Family Advocacy
928-757-8103
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Or call 928-757-8103
News and Reviews for Sarah's House Child & Family Advocacy
Kingman Daily Miner,
Erin Taylor
Miner Staff Reporter
KINGMAN - The sad reality for staff at Sarah's House is that they're even needed at all.
"It's one of those places where we say it's terrible it has to be here, but it's good that it's here," said Case Manager Jean Jackson.
Last year, 247 families in Mohave County sought services through Sarah's House. The child and family advocacy non-profit center specializes in dealing with victims of sexual and physical abuse and provides a compassionate and safe environment for medical examinations and law enforcement interviews.
The center is currently looking for volunteers to serve as advocates to help women and children who come to the center after being assaulted.
Sarah's House serves all of Mohave County except for Lake Havasu City, which has its own similar facility. Victims of sexual assault are referred to Sarah's House either by law enforcement or healthcare professionals.
The victims are seen by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner nurses who are trained in treating victims of assault along with gathering and preserving evidence for law enforcement.
The victim advocates are on call 24/7 and help ease the process for victims who are dealing with the trauma of assault.
"As an advocate, we're not here to ask questions about what happened," Jackson said. "We just want to be there for them so law enforcement can do what they need to do and the nurses can do what they need to do."
The advocates are trained in how to handle victims, whose reactions can range from emotional to denial. The hardest cases can be the ones where children are victims, Jackson said.
The center added Rebekah Bacoka in November. She is the only "Good Touch, Bad Touch" facilitator in the county and visits schools teaching children how to protect themselves from sexual abuse and who to tell in the event such a thing happens. Bacoka said around 90 percent of children who are abused are victimized by people they know.
Her lessons at schools are cleared by parents who are given a permission slip to fill out prior to her visit.
Jackson said working with victims of abuse, particularly children, can be hard for advocates. Some go through the training only to find out they can't handle the emotional nature of the work. She said the best advocates are the ones that are caring and compassionate.
Those interested in becoming an advocate should contact Sarah's House at (928) 757-8103.
Erin Taylor
Miner Staff Reporter
KINGMAN - Sarah's House is gearing up for its 12th annual fundraising gala next month.
The formal night of dinner and dancing will be held at the Aquarius Casino Resort in Laughlin on Nov. 5
Only 400 tickets are available and they're going like wildfire, according to Jennette Fisher, Public Relations Coordinator for Sarah's House.
"It's going to be a very elegant and amazing evening," she said. "This is the fundraiser to be at."
Last year's gala raised more than $50,000. Sarah's House is dependent on donations, grants and fundraisers to pay all of their operating costs and the gala is the biggest of those efforts.
The child and family advocacy non-profit center specializes in dealing with victims of sexual and physical abuse and provides a compassionate and safe environment for medical examinations and law enforcement interviews. Sarah's House serves all of Mohave County except for Lake Havasu City, which has its own similar facility.
Fisher said Sarah's House recently served its 4,000th victim since opening in 2000. All clients are served free of charged.
Tickets are $100 per person. Corporate tables are available for $1,500 and include 10 tickets as well as sponsorship of the event. To buy tickets, go online to www.SarahsHouseAz.org or call (928) 757-8103 and press "0".
