What’s in a Name?

By Laura B. Guilliams, MA, RYT

You may have already noticed a change in how we refer to the trained volunteers and staff who answer our hotline and respond in person to survivors. When you call the 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, you are connected to a SARA Crisis Advocate (formerly known as a SARA Volunteer Companion) who is trained to provide support, information, and referrals to those who have either directly or indirectly experienced sexual violence.

advocate
noun  ad·vo·cate \ˈad-və-kət, -ˌkāt\

Merriam-Webster defines an advocate as:

• “one who pleads the cause of another,”
• “one who defends or maintains a cause or proposal,” and
• “one who supports or promotes the interests of a cause or group.”

At SARA, we advocate for survivors of sexual violence in many ways, including individual advocacy, legislative advocacy, and community-wide advocacy for change. So, we started looking at how we show up in the community as the people who respond to survivors through our 24-hour crisis hotline and in person at hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and even during court proceedings. Now, by showing up as a Crisis Advocate, the message is that our staff and volunteers are here to actively support survivors and SARA continues to align with its mission. It’s a small yet bold change that represents SARA’s evolution as the sexual assault crisis center right here in the Roanoke Valley!