Rio Hondo College is having workshops as part of the Violence Intervention Program (V.I.P) for the month of April which is Sexual Assault Awareness month. The goal of this program is to bring awareness on campus about sexual assault

For this week there will be posters outside of the Student Union building that have statistics, facts, myths about sexual assault. There are also stories about sexual assault survivors on the posters.

There is a white board poster in which students are encouraged to pin a blue ribbon on to support the program and help bring awareness. Students are also encouraged to wear the ribbon as well in order to help bring awareness for sexual assault.

“What we’re having this week, Sexual Assault Awareness, pretty much for the whole month, we’ll have that there and with the poster, you kind of just make your mark”,said Oralia Alcorta, 34, advocate and student for V.I.P. So, whether you’re a survivor, or supporter, or you just want to make your mark, we’re encouraging students to get a ribbon and place it on the whiteboard. It will stay throughout the whole month to bring awareness. It’s important everyone knows April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.”

There is going to be a resource fair on April 25 in which different agencies will come out to provide services, resources, brochures, and see what they can provide for the students. A Denim Day event will also take place on the same day from 11am to 2pm in honor for survivors on Denim Day.

The Violence Intervention Program has more than one advocate on campus. They provide services for the students. The students do not have to be sexual assault victims or survivors. They can just come to the program for resources.

Aside from helping out students who are going through sexual assault, sexual assault, stalking,etc, the program also helps out students who need additional help such as housing, homelessness, counseling and other resources.

“We’re a program that wants to help students with additional resources”, Alcorta said. “We do specialize and we did get the training for sexual assault and domestic violence but if a student came in and said, ‘I don’t have enough money for food’, we can refer them to our pantry or “I don’t have somewhere to live’ or ‘I’m going through this’, we can refer them.”

As for helping to end sexual assault and domestic violence, Alcorta believes it is important for students know that they “have a voice” and not be in silence about being sexually assaulted. For any more information regarding the Violence Intervention Program, visit the Student Union building.