How to help SARP
Potential volunteers for the Sexual Assault Recovery Program can contact Kristy Schindler at the Green County office by calling (608) 325-3142 or sending email to cschindler@sarpwi.com.
MONROE - As the sole advocacy group for sexual assault survivors in Green County marks another year of sexual violence awareness, the organization notes a need for more volunteers.
April in the United States is deemed Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Sexual Assault Recovery Program has begun its work to bring attention to the common crime.
Although the first days of April have proven less than ideal for working outside, SARP Rural Populations Advocate Kristy Schindler spent time outside of the organization's Monroe location to place teal outlines of people displaying statistics.
"I always say we're kind of like a second voice," Schindler said. "There's a lot of fear, so there's a lot of hesitation."
SARP was created as a partnership between Green and Rock counties. Volunteers and workers respond to victims of sexual assault and provide an advocate for survivors, regardless of the time or day of the week for free. Currently, SARP has seven volunteers. Schindler said two are truly the only regular workers and that the county would benefit from a few more people looking to donate their time.
"We just want the county to know, because I think a lot of people don't know we're here," Schindler said. "I'm big on giving back. It's a great experience for those students looking for a career in psychology or social work, even nursing or law. It's a hard area, but it's a good feeling when you can help someone."
Volunteers who are interested in joining the program are given 16 hours of training. They serve on-call for 12-hour shifts; either from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Once training is completed, the volunteers can serve as an advocate by taking hotline calls from victims, representing SARP at local events, helping with school presentations to better educate young people about sexual assault and attending advocate meetings.
Monroe resident Tod Santiago has been a volunteer for nearly a year. Though he has not yet taken a hotline call, he has completed his training and contributes his evening hours to the program. He said he learned more about incidents that have happened in both Green and Dane counties from a friend who is a social worker and was prompted to volunteer for SARP after learning more about the organization during an information fair at the Green County Family YMCA.
"It made me aware of issues within the county I hadn't heard about or was surprised to learn about," Santiago said. "That made me think about how I could help. The number of hours you commit are worth the time in helping someone in a situation they weren't intending to be in. It's valuable time."
Program advocates assist sexual assault survivors with emergency room visits, guidance through the legal process and support during discussions with law enforcement.
Detective Sergeant Dan Skatrud has served on the Monroe Police Department for 32 years. In subsequent years working with victims of sexually violent crimes, he said SARP has been invaluable to aiding police.
"How they can relate to the victim ... once we get these folks here from SARP involved, it makes them feel at ease," Skatrud said. "They'll be there."
April in the United States is deemed Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Sexual Assault Recovery Program has begun its work to bring attention to the common crime.
Although the first days of April have proven less than ideal for working outside, SARP Rural Populations Advocate Kristy Schindler spent time outside of the organization's Monroe location to place teal outlines of people displaying statistics.
"I always say we're kind of like a second voice," Schindler said. "There's a lot of fear, so there's a lot of hesitation."
SARP was created as a partnership between Green and Rock counties. Volunteers and workers respond to victims of sexual assault and provide an advocate for survivors, regardless of the time or day of the week for free. Currently, SARP has seven volunteers. Schindler said two are truly the only regular workers and that the county would benefit from a few more people looking to donate their time.
"We just want the county to know, because I think a lot of people don't know we're here," Schindler said. "I'm big on giving back. It's a great experience for those students looking for a career in psychology or social work, even nursing or law. It's a hard area, but it's a good feeling when you can help someone."
Volunteers who are interested in joining the program are given 16 hours of training. They serve on-call for 12-hour shifts; either from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Once training is completed, the volunteers can serve as an advocate by taking hotline calls from victims, representing SARP at local events, helping with school presentations to better educate young people about sexual assault and attending advocate meetings.
Monroe resident Tod Santiago has been a volunteer for nearly a year. Though he has not yet taken a hotline call, he has completed his training and contributes his evening hours to the program. He said he learned more about incidents that have happened in both Green and Dane counties from a friend who is a social worker and was prompted to volunteer for SARP after learning more about the organization during an information fair at the Green County Family YMCA.
"It made me aware of issues within the county I hadn't heard about or was surprised to learn about," Santiago said. "That made me think about how I could help. The number of hours you commit are worth the time in helping someone in a situation they weren't intending to be in. It's valuable time."
Program advocates assist sexual assault survivors with emergency room visits, guidance through the legal process and support during discussions with law enforcement.
Detective Sergeant Dan Skatrud has served on the Monroe Police Department for 32 years. In subsequent years working with victims of sexually violent crimes, he said SARP has been invaluable to aiding police.
"How they can relate to the victim ... once we get these folks here from SARP involved, it makes them feel at ease," Skatrud said. "They'll be there."