CC 2019-04-23_06b Honorary Proclamation_Sexual Assault AwarenessItem 6.b. - Page 1
OF
HONORARY PROCLAMATION
DECLARING APRIL 2019 AS
"SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH"
WHEREAS, Sexual Assault Awareness Month calls attention to the fact that sexual violence is
widespread and impacts every person in Arroyo Grande; and
WHEREAS, rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment hann our community, and statistics show
that one in five women and one in 71 men will be raped at some point in their lives; and
WHEREAS, child sexual abuse prevention must be a priority to confront the reality that one in six
boys and one in four girls will experience a sexual assault before age 18, and youth ages 12 to 17 are
2.5 times as likely to be victims of sexual violence; and
WHEREAS, our local student population is also at high-risk; nationally, one in four women and one
in 16 men are sexually assaulted during their time in college; and
WHEREAS, last year RISE, which stands for "Respect. Inspire. Support. Empower.", received 1,469
crisis calls, a 50% increase compared to 2017, and provided 6,627 days of emergency shelter; and
WHEREAS, the number of RISE clients receiving counseling for sexual assault related issues
continues to increase every year, with a total of 1,335 hours of counseling provided at low or no-cost
to community members across the County last year; and
WHEREAS, the theme of this year's Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign is, "I Ask", which
champions the message that asking for consent is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of everyday
interactions; and
WHEREAS, the City of Arroyo Grande joins RISE and other advocates and communities across the
country in taking action to prevent sexual violence, and acknowledges that each day of the year is an
opportunity to create change for the future .
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that I, Kristen Barneich, Mayor Pro Tern of the City of
Arroyo Grande, on behalf of the City Council, do hereby declares April 2019 as "Sexual Assault
Awareness Month".
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the
Seal of the City of Arroyo Grande to be affixed this 23 rd day of April 2019.
KRISTEN BARNEICH, MAYOR PRO TEM
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Item 6.b. - Page 2