DUBOIS – Penn State DuBois students recently came together to assemble care kits for women who are victims of domestic or sexual violence. The kits were donated to PASSAGES Inc., a victim advocacy group serving Clarion, Clearfield and Jefferson counties.
The kits contain shampoo, conditioner, a hairbrush, toothpaste, a toothbrush, soap, washcloth, chapstick, a razor, feminine hygiene products, deodorant and disposable masks.
Alaina Shaffer, a 2018 graduate of the Penn State DuBois Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) program and current Prevention Education coordinator at PASSAGES Inc., accepted the donation.
“We provide medical accompaniment to victims of sexual assault at hospitals across Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion counties, and these care kits will be used at DuBois Penn Highlands,” Shaffer said.
“A rough estimate of victims we see each year in Clearfield County hospitals is 25, but these are only the ones seeking out treatment following an assault.
“As a whole, PASSAGES Inc. provides services for approximately 450 people who have been affected by sexual violence each year in Clearfield County and the numbers continue to rise.”
Items donated were provided by the Penn State DuBois Office of Student Affairs. Students volunteered to assemble the care kits, and were treated to pizza at lunch time by the Office of Student Affairs in gratitude for their service.
“Following something as traumatizing as sexual assault, many feel isolated, confused, and lost,” Shaffer explained. “We currently supply hospital care kits that contain clean clothing and brochures, so being able to add toiletries, hygiene products, chap stick and masks to 40 of our kits will help provide even more comfort to the victims in our community.”
The mission of PASSAGES Inc. is to advocate for the rights and needs of survivors of sexual violence, while working to eliminate all forms of sexual violence by educating community members and promoting social change.
According to PASSAGES, it is estimated that every minute of every day in America, someone becomes the victim of sexual violence. For more information, visit https://www.passages-inc.org/.