August's Shared Offering: RACES

The August Shared Offering organization is Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services (RACES). Half of the cash collection and designated checks each Sunday in August will benefit this organization.

RACES is the community-based rape crisis center serving Champaign, Douglas, Ford, and Piatt Counties in East-Central Illinois. They provide free, confidential services to any person who has experienced sexual assault, abuse, or harassment as well as their loved ones. They also offer public education and training to schools, employers, and other organizations throughout the service area.

The mission of Rape Advocacy, Counseling, & Education Services is to challenge the rape culture and empower victims and survivors of sexual violence through advocacy, counseling, education, crisis intervention, and activism. They also work with non-offending significant others, allied professionals, and the community at large to end all forms of sexual violence. RACES believes that working to end sexual violence, a widespread form of oppression that primarily victimizes women and children, is essential to building a world free of all forms of oppression.

Services include: a 24-hour a day crisis hotline, Medical Advocacy and Legal Advocacy for victims of sexual violence, Free Individual, Group, Family, and Child Counseling, and Public Education and Training about Sexual Assault, Abuse, and Harassment to a wide variety of audiences. RACES accepts volunteers of any background 18 and older.

For more information, check out their website at www.cu-races.org.