LGBTQIA+ Sing-A-Long Film Night,

About the event

The main objective is to provide an exciting free event and get our resources out there. We wish to show a movie that centers around LGBTQ+ themes and is beloved by the community. We are requesting assistance securing both the One Day Public Performance License and venue to the film, “Rent.” The license through SWANK is $550. To host the event, we are expecting an additional estimated cost of $500 for the venue. Any additional funding secured would be used to provide free refreshments and advertising for the event.

Why should you sponsor?

We have a difficult time providing outreach for sexual assault survivors as it is not a topic many are willing to discuss. Our intent with this event is to provide outreach specifically to the LGBTQ Community as they have one of the highest rates of assault, and are less likely to receive the care they need. Every service from counseling, advocacy, medical forensic exams, prophylactic medications, and even transportation is free through our center for 3 counties in Northwest Arkansas. Hosting events is the best way that we can let the community know we exist and provide the necessary resources to the communities we serve. We know the citizens of Northwest Arkansas need us. We have provided over 130 medical forensic exams, answered 768 crisis calls, and provided over 695 counseling sessions.

Every year, each of our outreach projects host events for each of the populations that are the most vulnerable, and therefore the most affected by the impacts of sexual violence. NWACSA is the only center for sexual assault in our state with community-specific programming to best serve the Hispanic/Latinx, Marshallese, and Black communities, as well as people identifying as LGBTQ+.  Project Arch specifically works with the LGBTQIA+ Community. Our event will take place during Pride Month. We expect to receive an official endorsement of the event by the local LGBTQIA+ Organization, NWA Equality, making this an official Pride Event of Northwest Arkansas. We have worked in close partnership with this organization for countless years by attending regular meetings, and by both participating and volunteering in an official capacity for the many events hosted by NWA Equality. By providing exciting events centered around these communities, we gain not only the opportunity to provide our services, but more chances from the community to build the much needed trust in our abilities to help survivors to continue to grow and heal from trauma. Outreach events take the pressure off of survivors looking for resources. Being out in the public allows us the opportunity to meet survivors in a neutral space and communicate their needs to us. This unique opportunity also allows them to build healthier relationships within the community, and bring them out of isolation and silence. These events give survivors a voice.  

Arkansas is experiencing a crisis as the state with the highest rape rate (77.3 cases per 100,000 people) in all of the continental United States. We have identified a severe rape culture in Arkansas that contributes to this crisis and is brought about due to systemic issues related to poverty, racism, sexism, and gender discrimination. Arkansas ranks #43 in Education and an appalling #47 in healthcare, which means that our population is not equipped with the knowledge to recognize and prevent sexual assault or relationship violence, and when this inevitably happens, our healthcare system is structurally incapable of providing all of the necessary support that sexual assault survivors need to overcome such trauma.

Holly Wrobel

We provide a safe haven of healing and hope for adult survivors of sexual violence or harassment, and their loved ones, while tirelessly working toward a safer future for all through education and awareness. The impact of sexual assault affects both the survivor and the survivor's loved ones—which we call secondary survivors—and our comprehensive services are available in English, Spanish, and Marshallese. These services are available to anyone in Northwest Arkansas who has been affected by rape or sexual assault. Our center provides crisis intervention, referral information, and emotional support to anyone dealing with the aftermath of rape and sexual assault 24/7. We offer free sexual assault exams and kit collections in a compassionate, non-hospital setting, performed by our trained Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners.  In addition to collecting evidence, our nurses offer information regarding care as well as preventative antibiotics for sexually transmitted infections. Our advocates offer compassionate support, referrals, and resources to survivors and their loved ones, assisting them through every step of the healing process. Our counselors provide in-depth talk therapy to assist survivors and their loved ones in exploring their long-term healing needs. Our counseling services include individual, couples, family, and group therapy for all those dealing with the emotional impact of sexual violence—regardless of when it occurred- for free as well. 

 

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