Hope Harbor hosted its annual Take Back the Night event where sexual assault survivors shared original stories and poems.
Hope Harbor is a non-profit crisis counseling center that provides “one-of-a-kind services” to victims of sexual assault, along with their friends and families. All Hope Harbor services are free and confidential to all individuals impacted by sexual harm.
Hope Harbor hosts Take Back the Night in Bowling Green annually to provide the community an opportunity to unite against violence and show support for survivors, according to WKU’s website.
Nikki Schoenbaechler, WKU senior film major and writer, presented her story Saturday evening at the Capitol Arts Center. Schoenbaechler said it felt good to have her work accepted into something and enjoyed hearing other survivor stories.
“It’s a very brave thing to do,” Schoenbaechler said.
Following the presentation, Hope Harbor Executive Director Melissa Whitley led the crowd in a candlelight vigil to honor survivors and those who have lost their lives to sexual violence or causes associated with it.
Whitley said people should come to events like Take Back the Night so they can see that sexual violence occurs in communities like Bowling Green.
“If they can see community members believing them, understanding that this happens, then they’ll be more likely to tell somebody if they need help,” Whitley said.
The rest of the event consisted of activities, prizes, food and tabling from various community and campus organizations.
Guests participated in face painting, crafts, story times and a booth where they could take an oath for violence prevention. Attendees also had the chance to claim a prize and be entered into a raffle if they received signatures from all the community partners tabling at the event.
Elizabeth Madariaga, Sexual Assault Services Coordinator, tabled for the WKU Counseling Center at the event. Madariaga works alongside Hope Harbor through her campus role.
Madariaga said it’s important to hold events like Take Back the Night to increase awareness about sexual violence and to provide a voice for those who might not be able to speak up for themselves.
“This is a way for them to understand they aren’t alone,” Madariaga said. “Their voice is their power, as we like to say, and their power is their story.”
Madariaga said sexual assault is an issue that anyone can experience in the community, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
“It’s not just a male issue, it’s not a female issue, it’s not a non-binary issue; it’s everyone,” Madariaga said. “We as a community need to hold perpetrators accountable, and we need to be a voice for victim-survivors. It’s important for us to do that and to let victim-survivors know that if they can’t speak up, we’ll speak up for them until they can find their voice, even if it shakes.”
Aleasha Martin, Director of Community Services for Barren River Area Safe Space (BRASS) Inc., said Hope Harbor and BRASS work together to help clients utilize services and resources that fit their needs. BRASS works with cases of domestic violence, while Hope Harbor works with cases of sexual assault.
Martin said she believes it’s important for organizations to support each other so that all clients can be helped.
“We attend events with Hope Harbor because what their primary goal is and what our goal is usually intersect,” Martin said.
Martin said Hope Harbor and BRASS have trained advocates and manned crisis lines. People on these lines help with safety planning and suggest resources clients need in the safest way possible.
Keela Collier, a nurse at Fairview Community Health Center, said she wanted to support sexual assault survivors in the community by attending the event.
“I felt like it was important to come in person and hear stories locally and hear people speak,” Collier said.
