East Texas Crisis Center Hope Awards set for Wednesday | Community Spirit

Relased by ETCC:

The East Texas Crisis Center’s bi-annual Hope Awards ceremony is scheduled for April 18th at 12:00 noon at the Tyler Public Library.  A proclamation will be read declaring April Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and awards will be presented to outstanding citizens and businesses that have gone above and beyond as volunteers and professionals to help victims of domestic violence.  .

The Hope Award Recipients are:  Natalie Starkey, ETMC SANE Nurse, Holli Holleman, East Texas Crisis Center Volunteer, Detective Keven Fite, Smith County Sheriff, Detective Dennis Mathews, Tyler Police Department, Jason Isham, Children’s Advocacy Center, Ellen Murray-Ferguson, TISD Middle School, and April Sikes, 1st Assistant Criminal District Attorney.

The Hope Awards are held twice a year; once during Sexual Assault Awareness & Prevention Month in April, and once in Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.  The East Texas Crisis Center acknowledges Sexual Assault Awareness Month annually with the goal of increasing awareness in the community about the nature and prevalence of sexual violence.  It is estimated that 13% of Texans have been sexually assaulted. That equates to nearly 2 million people, or 1 in 5 women, and 1 in 20 men.

The East Texas Crisis Center is a non-profit agency providing help, hope and healing to victims of family violence and sexual assault.  The center serves a five-county area including Smith, Wood, Rains, Henderson, and Van Zandt Counties.  Last year the East Texas Crisis Center provided over 20,000 direct client services to victims in East Texas.