Chocolate de Vine a Sweet Way to Help Rape Crisis Center Help Others

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/110509_chocolate_de_vine_a_sweet_way_to_help_rape_crisis_center_help_others/

By Alissa Jesle

The Santa Barbara nonprofit's survivor programs are the focus of Saturday's wine and chocolate benefit

One sexual assault survivor wanted her advocate to sing with her as she went through her rape exam, to help her cope with the horrors of what she was experiencing. It’s one of several ways the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center assists the community, through education, prevention, crisis intervention and counseling.

As the recession deepens, some Santa Barbara residents are cutting down on attending charity events. There is a way for them to give and get their just desserts, with the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center’s third annual Chocolate de Vine from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at Island View Nursery in Carpinteria.

Samplings of various premium wines and chocolates along with entertainment and auctions will be the highlights of the evening, but the reasons for the evening will be behind the scenes.

Sexual assault support is essential in times of high unemployment and a floundering economy — sometimes even more so.

“We bring a sense of hope and empowerment to a sexual assault survivor at a time when every aspect of their life is in a state of chaos,” Executive Director Elsa Granados said. “We hold their hands through the legal and medical aspects of the process. We are often the first place a sexual assault survivor calls even before the police.”

The chocolate and wine event will help provide short-term counseling to immediate sexual-assault survivors as well as long-term counseling to those who even 10 years from an assault are dealing with the aftermath.

Silence is a barrier to healing. You can break the silence and contribute to the healing by attending Saturday’s event

Island View Nursery is located at 3376 Foothill Road, across from the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. The VIP event starts at 6 p.m., and tickets are $100. Tickets for the main event are $65 advance and $75 at the door. Tickets are available through SBRCC.

Click here for more information or call 805.963.6832.

— Santa Barbara native, sports nut and former TV reporter Alissa Jesle writes the AlissainWonderland Blog.

http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/110509_chocolate_de_vine_a_sweet_way_to_help_rape_crisis_center_help_others/