Posts Tagged ‘RAINN’

In December of 2008 I interviewed an artist named Melody Pilotte twice. The first time I interviewed her about her artwork a collection of watercolors and sketches that are joyful, a little mystical and awesome all around. The second time I interviewed her we talked about her work with the incredibly important charity organization RAINN the Rape Abuse Incest National Network here in the United States.

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at rainn.org, and publicizes the hotline’s free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual assault; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.

This morning I received an email from Melody requesting donations to RAINN in Tori Amos’ name:

This month, we celebrate Tori’s 46th birthday and acknowledge all she has done to support RAINN over the past 16 years.
To honor Tori’s birthday, please consider making a $46 gift to RAINN in her name.

Your donation will enable 13 victims of sexual assault to receive the support that they need and deserve – in Tori’s honor.

Please grant Tori her birthday wish and help more victims to take their first step toward recovery today.

Donate today at donate.rainn.org

Please, if you have a chance this month, or at anytime, make a donation to this incredibly important charity organization. Even if you cannot spare the asked for $46 donation, please make as much of a donation as you can.

Some statistics from RAINN’s website:

1 in 5 women -and 1 in 33 men- will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.

College age women are4 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.

In 2007, there were 248,300 victims of sexual assault.

Every 2 minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

60% of sexual assaultes are not reported to the police.

Reporting has increased by 1/3 since 1993.

Approximately 73% of rape victims know their assailants.

Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail.

With statistics like these you will know someone in your lifetime that has been or will be a victim of sexual assault. Oraganizations like RAINN are helping to decrease that likelyhood and they can use every bit of help that you can give.

For other ways to support RAINN please check out these links:
Donate
Volunteer
Get Information
Search for a Local Crisis Center
National Sexual Assault Online Hotline
Check out their Official Website
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When Melody Pilotte contacted me about doing an interview a few weeks ago she mentioned that she does work with RAINN.org. I knew I had to do a second interview with her about this vastly important organization and the ways that we can all help to support their cause.

Carmine Magazine: For the readers that are not familiar with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) can you describe what it is, what it does and why it’s such an important organization?
Melody Pilotte: RAINN is an amazing charity, that pledges itself to helping victims of incest and sexual violence. They have services dedicated to helping victims, their families and friends, with twenty-four-hour hotlines, online help, and resources. It’s just marvelous. It is beyond important: it is integral. Every two minutes, someone in the United State is the victim of sexual assault. One in six women and one in thirty-three men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. That’s a disgusting amount of people. Most women know their assailants and these people don’t often spend the time they should be in prison. American Indian women are the most likely to be raped. RAINN is so unique in the work that it does. It’s so important because sexual assault, rape, incest, domestic violence–are such unseen crimes. They hurt everyone, not just the victims–their friends, their families, their teachers, co-workers-who love them and might not be able to help them, or even know what‘s wrong. Everyone is affected by it; it creates an intergenerational soul wound, trauma and self-hatred. The work that RAINN does is long overdue in the world and I am so happy a really wonderful group of people have dedicated their lives to doing it.
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