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7 <br /> 1 Bruce Woody reiterated that the Shred-A-Thom will be a touchless event, due to the <br /> 2 pandemic. He said residents will need to be prepared to shred materials themselves, as staff <br /> 3 assistance will not be available. <br /> 4 <br /> 5 b. Sexual Assault Awareness Month Proclamation <br /> 6 The Board considered voting to approve a proclamation recognizing April 2021 as <br /> 7 Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Orange County. <br /> 8 <br /> 9 BACKGROUND: The Orange County Rape Crisis Center, a non-profit, volunteer agency, <br /> 10 which has been serving the community since 1974 is working with others in the community to <br /> 11 stop sexual violence and its impact through support, education and advocacy. Rape is the most <br /> 12 costly crime to its victims considering factors such as medical cost, lost earnings, pain, suffering <br /> 13 and lost quality of life. The Orange County Rape Crisis Center assisted over 600 survivors of <br /> 14 sexual violence, their loved ones, and community professionals during 2020. <br /> 15 <br /> 16 The coordination of the Orange County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Response <br /> 17 Committee is bringing together members of law enforcement, the medical community, the legal <br /> 18 system and other community advocates to improve services for survivors of sexual assault who <br /> 19 come forward. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 The Board of Commissioners is asked to proclaim April 2021 as "Sexual Assault Awareness <br /> 22 Month" in Orange County to encourage all residents to speak out against sexual assault, and to <br /> 23 support their local communities' efforts to provide services to victims of these appalling crimes. <br /> 24 The Board has approved similar resolutions in prior years. <br /> 25 <br /> 26 Chair Price introduced the item and Julia Da Silva from the Orange County Rape Crisis <br /> 27 Center. <br /> 28 Julia Da Silva thanked the Board for its support for ending sexual violence. She <br /> 29 highlighted the services that the Center provides to clients, as well as educational programs for <br /> 30 students. <br /> 31 Commissioner Hamilton read the proclamation with updated language in the 51n <br /> 32 "Whereas" from what was originally presented in the agenda packet: <br /> 33 <br /> 34 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 35 PROCLAMATION <br /> 36 Sexual Assault Awareness Month <br /> 37 <br /> 38 WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center assisted over 600 survivors of sexual <br /> 39 violence, their loved ones, and community professionals during 2020; and <br /> 40 <br /> 41 WHEREAS, the Orange County Rape Crisis Center works with the County's two school systems <br /> 42 and other groups to provide students with age-appropriate information about violence <br /> 43 prevention, reaching over 15,500 youth and adults each year; and <br /> 44 <br /> 45 WHEREAS, the coordination of the Orange County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault <br /> 46 Response Committee (DVSARC) is bringing together members of law enforcement, the medical <br /> 47 community, the legal system, and other community advocates to improve services for survivors <br /> 48 of sexual assault who come forward; and <br /> 49 <br /> 50 WHEREAS, 1 in 5 American women have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives <br /> 51 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010); and <br />