VolunteerMaine!

Rape Crisis Assistance and Prevention's (RCA&P) Mission is to provide crisis intervention support to all individuals impacted by sexual trauma and to aid in community collaboration and education around the issues of sexual violence.

Description:
Small, non-profit providing advocacy and support to survivors of sexual violence, their families and their loved ones. Volunteer Advocates receive 48 hours of intensive training prior to beginning on-call shifts. Services include: Confidential, 24-hour, toll-free Helpline; free referrals to other agencies, counselors and/or therapists; accompaniment by a well-trained Advocate to medical, legal and court proceedings; support groups for men, women and teens, as well as one-on-one support; educational programming in area schools (K-college) for students, teachers and guidance staff; sexual harassment training for area businesses; community educational programs and lending library. All our services are completely confidential and are offered at no charge.

History:
In 1983, recognizing the need for rape crisis services in the Waterville area, a group of local women decided to begin offering a confidential number for people to call for help and support. Three or four volunteers began answering a telephone in the basement of a local church. Their only furnishings were a telephone, a desk and chair and a note pad. They began seeking funding for space and in 1986 Rape Crisis Assistance and Prevention (RCA&P) opened the doors at our current location at 179 Main Street in Waterville. The first Executive Director was hired that same year and volunteers helped with the work. The statewide coalition (MECASA -- Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault) was formed in 1995 and the 10 sexual assault support centers around the state became members. Shortly thereafter, the statewide toll-free Helpline was implemented and volunteer advocates were trained to carry pagers and answer calls from survivors of sexual violence. Today, RCA&P employs six staff: the Executive Director, Administration Director, Education Director and Client Services/SART Director work in the Waterville office, while the Education Assistant and Client Services/SART Assistant work from our Skowhegan office. Each year the number of contacts to RCA&P's staff and volunteers increases. In 2006, we received approximately 1,500 calls from survivors, their families, friends and loved ones.

Contact people:

Darcy Shargo, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Charity Bean, Administration Director, (phone), (email) Elisabeth Dudley-Bean, Client Services/SART Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (207) 872-9156

Address:

179 Main Street, Suite #410 Waterville, ME 04901 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.rape-crisis.com

Directions:

From Interstate 95, take Exit 130, Waterville. The exit ramp ends at Main Street. Follow Main Street to the downtown area (roughly 1/2 mile), to 179 Main Street, directly across the street from Peoples Bank. Our office is located on the 3rd Floor.   Nearest Bus Stop: N/A