In Business: Support Within Reach Provides Help For Sexual Violence Victims

Support Within Reach is a sexual violence resource center that covers six counties in northern Minnesota and is the largest and second oldest center in the state.

Caroline Larson, Support Within Reach Executive Director, says, “Victims, Survivors and Thrivers, so it really is how people self-identify. Some do identify as victims, some don’t identify as any of the three that I just said. For most of our own technical purposes we do call them victims. We do have a 24/7, 365 hotline so that someone is always available to our victims.”

Support Within Reach offers several programs to ensure victims are supported. These programs range from a 24-hour crisis hotline, crisis intervention, ongoing counseling, follow-up assistance, support groups and more.

Employees and volunteers at Support Within Reach go through a hands-on and intense training process to ensure victims and survivors receive the care that they both want and need.

Eve Lavrenz, Support Within Reach Sexually Exploited Youth Coordinator and Victim Advocate, states, “I always like to talk about that we’re with that person from maybe the night it happens or maybe right when they’re getting out of that bad situation till they don’t want to work with us anymore, and I think that everyday advocacy and that constant support and we always like to say constant biased support, because we’re biased to our clients, is what pulls people out of these really dark situations and it can help instill hope in them.”

The support groups offered through the resource center are free and open to all ages and gender identities.