NYCHA Employees Raise Awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
On April 24, the Bronx Resident Services, Partnerships, and Initiatives (RPSI) team participated in Denim Day to stand in solidarity with victims and survivors of sexual assault and raise awareness of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), which is every April.
The event was organized by Denise Pabon, a Social Worker in NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department. Ms. Pabon emailed her colleagues in the Bronx to ask them to participate in the event by wearing denim to work. More than a dozen people showed up in their denim to demonstrate their support.
“When I walked into work the morning of,” Ms. Pabon said, “I was filled with so much emotion and left speechless to see everyone in blue.”
Ms. Pabon would like to see more dialogue and education around sexual assault, so people will feel more comfortable and empowered to tell their stories. By raising awareness, Ms. Pabon said, advocacy groups could draw on greater public support to promote policy changes nationwide that would further protect, and provide services to, victims of sexual assault.
“As a social worker and as part of a social work department team,” Ms. Pabon said, “I feel that it is important that we raise awareness on social issues that affect our communities.”
You can learn more Denim Day here. If you or anyone you know need access to help or resources, please visit Safe Horizon.
