For immediate release
October 2, 2012
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Press contact: Deborah Wang (330) 645-5805; dwang@asiaohio.org
Project: Together to Provide Culturally-Specific Services to Sexual Assault Survivors
CLEVELAND–Asian Services In Action, Inc. (ASIA) is partnering with Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC) for Project: Together, an initiative serving Northeast Ohio which addresses the need for culturally-specific services for sexual assault survivors who are Asian and Pacific Islander (API) immigrants or refugees. The project is made possible by a $288,750 three-year grant from the Office on Violence Against Women.
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, the only comprehensive sexual assault services provider in Northeast Ohio, will mentor and assist ASIA in developing culturally-specific services to API survivors of sexual assault. These services will include service coordination; crisis intervention; individual/group support; medical, social services, and justice advocacy; and outreach and education for both survivors and the community.
One of the key components of Project: Together will be the training of bilingual volunteer Victim’s Advocates (VVAs), who will be well-positioned to serve and support Northeast Ohio’s diverse multi-ethnic, multilingual API community.
Project: Together‘s service area is the metropolitan cities of Akron and Cleveland. The 15-county region has the largest Asian and Pacific Islander American population in the state, with Cuyahoga County-City of Cleveland having the highest incidence of forcible rape.
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Asian Services In Action
Founded in 1995, Asian Services In Action’s mission is to is to empower and advocate for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (AAPIs); and to provide AAPIs access to quality, culturally, and linguistically appropriate information and services. ASIA serves over 10,000 people annually. Follow ASIA on Facebook and Twitter!
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center
Cleveland Rape Crisis Center supports survivors of sexual violence, promotes healing and prevention and creates social change in our community. For more information, visit www.clevelandrapecrisis.org or call the Center’s 24-hour rape crisis and support hotline at 216-619-6192.
Office on Violence Against Women
The mission of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, is to provide federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.