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2 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> PROCLAMATION <br /> Sexual Assault Awareness Month <br /> WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center assisted over 600 survivors of sexual violence, <br /> their loved ones,and community professionals during 2020; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center works with the County's two school systems <br /> and other groups to provide students with age-appropriate information about violence prevention, <br /> reaching over 15,500 youth and adults each year;and <br /> WHEREAS, the coordination of the Orange County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault <br /> Response Committee (DVSARC) is bringing together members of law enforcement, the medical <br /> community, the legal system, and other community advocates to improve services for survivors of <br /> sexual assault who come forward;and <br /> WHEREAS, 1 in 5 American women have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives <br /> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,2010); and <br /> WHEREAS,in the United States rape is the most costly crime to its survivors,totaling$127 billion <br /> a year considering factors such as medical cost,lost earnings,pain, suffering, and lost quality of life <br /> (U.S. Department of justice,1996); and <br /> WHEREAS,in the United States 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of sexual <br /> or physical violence committed by an intimate partner(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, <br /> 2010);and <br /> WHEREAS,trans and gender non-conforming people,people with disabilities,and children face the <br /> highest rates of sexual violence in our country;and <br /> WHEREAS,victim-blaming continues to be an enormous problem in instances of rape and sexual <br /> assault;and <br /> WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, a nonprofit agency that has served this <br /> community since 1974,is working to stop sexual violence and its impact through support,education, <br /> and advocacy; <br /> NOW,THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we,the Orange County Board of Commissioners,do <br /> hereby proclaim the month of April 2021 as "SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH," and <br /> encourage all residents to speak out against sexual violence and to support their local community's <br /> efforts to prevent and respond to these appalling crimes. <br /> This the 20th day of April 2021. <br /> Renee Price,Chair <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />