Who
You! Survivors, friends, family members, colleagues, partners, activists, volunteers, staff, interns, community members, and even your four-legged friends (on leashes) are welcome to join us.
What
Walk alongside us, in solidarity with survivors. Choose to walk in-person or walk “from anywhere.” No matter where you walk, you are showing survivors that they are not alone, and we are all in this together!
When
Sunday, April 21, 2024 | 8:30 a.m.– 12 p.m.
Where
DCR’s Constitution Beach in East Boston
Why
Help raise awareness and funds to support survivors of sexual violence. Your support helps BARCC continue to provide free, trauma-informed care to survivors. It also enables BARCC to advocate for policies and strategies that help prevent sexual violence from happening in the first place.
How
Secure your spot at the 2024 Walk for Change now by registering! You can participate as an individual or as part of a team.
The following post was written by Jim Holland, a survivor who came to BARCC for counseling and serves as a Survivor Speakers Bureau volunteer. Content note: childhood sexual assault.
My involvement with BARCC happened somewhat accidentally.
About 12 years ago I was looking to join a men’s healing group and find support with individual therapy. As memories of my childhood sexual assault kept coming back, and the emotions associated with those memories intensified, I knew I needed help but didn’t know where to turn. Aside from a few online resources or a book here and there, I couldn’t find any good professional services to help me deal with this type of trauma.
After all, I thought, who would believe me? I’m a grown man and according to societal norms men should be able to take care of themselves. Were there even services out there for men like me? There was so much stigma around men who were survivors of sexual assault that it took me a long time to come to grips with what had happened to me and how I could start my healing journey. I was looking at it all through the eyes of a 40-year-old man and not the 13-year-old boy who was still hurting.
As luck would have it, one of the facilitators of the men’s group worked for BARCC. We started talking, and he told me about all of the services BARCC offered for survivors of sexual violence, including men. I turned to BARCC during this time, and it was a lifesaver for me. The staff at BARCC helped me work through my emotions so I wasn’t stuck in my head anymore. I was able to learn the skills needed to cope with my PTSD. Once I got to a safe point in my healing I knew I wanted to give back and provide the support for survivors and their loved ones, just as I had received. I found out about the Survivor Speakers Bureau (SSB), attended the training, and have been involved with BARCC and sharing my story for the past eight years.
This year’s theme for the Walk for Change is “Healing for Every Survivor,” and that is truly the theme of BARCC’s work every day. From the wide array of services offered by BARCC (hotline and web chat, legal assistance, and medical advocacy just to name a few) to the range of folks being served—not just the diversity of survivors, but support for their loved ones and their communities as well—BARCC really is a lifeline to anyone who has been impacted and hurt by sexual violence.
A few years ago I had the opportunity to open up the Walk for Change with then-City Councilor Ayanna Pressley. She was, and still is, energetic, hopeful, and a tremendous advocate for every survivor. While this year’s Walk may not be in person, I still look forward to joining Congresswoman Pressley, fellow survivors, and every member of the BARCC community for a celebratory day of healing and connection. I hope you will join me.
I will end my story with this message to every survivor: you are never alone. There is an entire community of people willing to listen and lend a helping hand if you are willing to take that first step. If you don’t know where to turn, turn to BARCC, and they will help you get started on your journey to healing. The road to healing will be a winding one, but we will all get there.
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