Pueblo Rape Crisis Services Inc

By providing direct services to survivors of sexual violence and their circles of support, in addition to community education, we aim to accomplish the following:
Victims and their families feel powerful and supported.
There is greater coordination between responding agencies.
There is increased community will to address sexual violence.

PRCS provides community prevention education, crisis intervention, and case management to survivors of sexual violence and does not discriminate against any individual. Our 24/7confidential crisis hotline is staffed with trained advocates who also respond to our local hospital for any survivor of sexual assault.

We are guided by these values:
1. We believe survivors.
2. We do not discriminate against any individual.
3. We promote racial equity.
4. We help when we are able.
5. We actively confront the injustices perpetuated by rape culture, misogyny, and the patriarchy.
6. We encourage collective care and healing.
7. We treat everyone with dignity and respect.
8. We are committed to operating with honesty and transparency.

PRCS became a 501(c)(3) in 2001 under the official name of Pueblo SANE/SART Inc; however, services for sexual violence survivors and outreach for the community had been provided for many decades before 2001. The earliest services were born of the time period in which our community and the nation was seeking equality and social justice. In the late 1970s, a local group of individuals, wanting to support rape survivors, received a grant and created “Friends of the Rape Crisis Center” to help provide support services. Over the ensuing 40 years, there have been changes to the activities of the agency but the original aim to support sexual violence survivors through advocacy, crisis intervention, outreach, and education have remained central to the agency’s goals and mission.

Each year we serve an average of 450 primary and secondary victims directly, including anonymous calls to our confidential crisis hotline and forensic exam advocacy at the local hospital. Volunteers and staff who respond have completed a 35-hour initial training. Volunteers provide thousands of hours of on-call coverage for PRCS each year.

Since 2010, PRCS has served nearly 6,150 individuals who have sought our support. On average, over one third of those primary victims served are under age 17, a fact that is devastating and demonstrates the true depth of the issue of sexual violence.

We are now working to build up the community's knowledge of our services, particularly in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. We have seen more vulnerable populations (children, homeless, individuals with mental illness) experiencing higher levels of violence and recognize the need to respond in ways that optimize technology while protecting everyone's health and minimizing burnout for our staff and volunteers.