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The Center Serving Westport Gets $5K Grant From First County Bank Foundation

STAMFORD, Conn. -- The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling & Education (The Center) announced that the First County Bank Foundation has granted the Stamford agency $5,000 to fuel its crisis counseling, advocacy, and prevention education programs.

The Center’s Executive Director Ivonne Zucco receives the grant with First County Bank Foundation's Rosemary Odgen and David Metzger.

The Center’s Executive Director Ivonne Zucco receives the grant with First County Bank Foundation's Rosemary Odgen and David Metzger.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Over the last year alone, The Center served over 14,000 people in Lower Fairfield County.

“The First County Bank Foundation has partnered with The Center for over a decade,” said Ivonne Zucco, The Center’s executive director. “We are honored by this long-standing relationship and are grateful for their support.”

The Center serves the residents of Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Westport, Weston and Wilton.

The Center’s counseling, advocacy, and prevention education programs work together to create a safety net for Lower Fairfield County. The funding from the First County Bank Foundation will help ensure that the following programs of The Center remain available:

  • Free 24/7 Hotline Services, in both English and Spanish
  • Free individual crisis counseling and support groups for survivors and their families
  • Sexual violence prevention education to youth in kindergarten through college, and the community at large
  • The Center’s participation on two teams that provide integrated, cross-disciplinary response to allegations of child sexual abuse.

The statistics around sexual assault are harrowing, and speak to the significant need for The Center’s crisis counseling, advocacy and prevention education services. One in three girls and one in six boys will become a victim of sexual assault before the age of 18 (as reported by The National Center for Victims of Crime).

Additionally, the risk of sexual assault is four times higher for women ages 16-24 than for any other age group, and both teenagers and young adults are the age group at greatest risk.

Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services statistics report that nearly one in five Connecticut residents have experienced a sexual assault in their lifetime and that 14 percent experienced childhood sexual assault.

“In the 35 years of The Center's existence, progress has been made around the issue of sexual violence,'' Zucco said. "There is still so much work to do, and the partnership of organizations like the First County Bank Foundation makes our continued efforts possible."

For more information about The Center, click here to visit its website.

 

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