September Non-Profit: Pathways for Change
/By Dani Babineau
I’m so happy to finally be writing about Pathways for Change, our September non-profit, because it’d be hard to imagine a more important and inspiring organization.
Pathways for Change provides quality multicultural services to those impacted by sexual violence and education geared toward ending sexual violence across Central Massachusetts. And as you’ll read below, sexual violence is a staggeringly widespread problem that impacts people across every community. The numbers are shocking. And even as Pathways faces this enormous challenge head on, they do it with a continued passion, commitment, and strength, and with a positive focus on supporting and building up survivors.
We spoke with Kim Dawkins, President & CEO at Pathways, about the work they do around central Mass., the impact of sexual violence in our communities, and how they’re continuing to help survivors during the pandemic. Read on to learn more:
What’s the mission of Pathways for Change and what does the organization do?
Our mission is to provide quality multicultural services to those impacted by Sexual Violence (including their family, friends, and significant others) and education geared toward ending Sexual Violence (SV), serving 47 towns and cities across Central Massachusetts.
We help victims of Sexual Violence (all genders) move from “Survivor to Thriver” on their healing journey. We offer crisis support counseling through our 24/7 hotline response, one-on-one, and group support counseling, medical accompaniment (including emergency room forensics collection support and follow up) and legal accompaniment (navigating court proceedings and law enforcement reporting) along with our Deaf Survivors Program (DSP) support counseling (via ASL) through our 24/7 statewide hotline Video Phone (VP) service.
We offer a Campus Advocacy program, placing staff directly on college and university campuses to provide support counseling and meet the needs of student survivors, and we also do an extensive amount of prevention education in middle and high schools to help youth and young adults understand what healthy relationships look like, how to be an active bystander, and how to reach out for support.
Why is Pathways' mission important to the Worcester area?
Because Sexual Violence happens here. It happens anywhere and everywhere, to anyone. Sexual Violence does not discriminate. It happens in our community, every day. In fact, rape happens to someone every two minutes. Think about that - every two minutes. Sexual Violence is a silent epidemic. Rape is the four-letter word that no one wants to say or acknowledge is happening and is still a taboo subject in our culture.
“Sexual Violence” is an umbrella term we use that includes rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation & trafficking, child sexual abuse, stalking, cyber bullying, sexting, voyeurism, and more - and it happens within our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools, our college campuses, our communities of faith, our military, our law enforcement. Essentially anywhere and everywhere.
Our work is critical in the Worcester area. We help Survivors (all Survivors and all gendered Survivors) get the support they need on their healing journey, recognizing that SV trauma affects every Survivor differently. We are the trained experts on responding to and addressing sexual violence, operating within a social justice and feminist framework led by the voices of survivors, through a model of empowerment.
Let me just repeat that Sexual Violence does not discriminate - it can happen to anyone and we know that the causes of Sexual Violence are rooted in power and control stemming from oppression (sexism, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, patriarchy, and more - the list goes on!). Therefore, we recognize that in order to end Sexual Violence, we must approach it through a social justice lens. We address the silent epidemic that is Sexual Violence by not only supporting Survivors (we #StartByBelieving), but also through raising awareness about the root causes and prevalence of SV, providing prevention education and being the “myth-busters” of preconceptions and stereotypes about victims and perpetrators.
Pathways is also the only rape crisis center serving Central Massachusetts and we want to remind our community that we are Still Here. Still Believing. Still Supporting. Survivor Strong. Since 1973!
How has COVID impacted Pathways and what changes have you made to adjust?
Since COVID hit, we needed to adjust quickly so that we could still reach Survivors safely. Sexual Violence didn’t end when everyone was asked to stay home to stay safe, because horrifically, most perpetrators of violence are known to the victim, and many perpetrators live with, near, or have access to the person they are perpetrating violence against. So while many of our staff and volunteers are working remotely while we all navigate this “new normal,” we have continued our 24/7 HOTLINE support services uninterrupted during this time, and will continue to do so.
We offer one-on-one and group counseling support via virtual platforms (instead of in-person) to ensure safe and confidential access to our services. We continue our medical and legal accompaniment through telephonic and/or telehealth services as we are still prohibited from most medical/court settings from in-person access. That is starting to change as we move into Gov. Baker’s Stage 4 re-entry phase, but the health and safety of our survivors and our staff/volunteers remain to be of utmost priority, so we are entering this phase carefully and purposefully, taking all necessary precautions and utilizing all PPE available to us at all times.
How might donations from Redemption Rock customers help Pathways in the future?
ANY donation made to Pathways - no matter how small - goes directly to help us support Survivors. $.98 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to program services. Financial donations help us support Survivors and given the current reported SV statistics of 1 in 3 females, 1 in 8 males, 1 in 2 transgender (and within communities of color, these numbers are even higher!), this likely means we are supporting someone you know and care about. Want to help? Contact us to learn how you can make a difference in the lives of Survivors!
Do you have any upcoming events, initiatives, or campaigns that people should know about?
Yes! Redemption Rock’s month long tipping charity campaign event running the rest of September – thank you for selecting us again! You ROCK, Redemption Rock!
One of our ongoing campaigns is #StartByBelieving, as we want our community to join us in our efforts to end victim blaming. You can also make a difference by volunteering, and there are many ways to do that. Please email us if interested at: Info@PathwaysForChange.Help
People can also follow us on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. #PathwaysForChange, #EndingSexualViolence, #StartByBelieving.
