Existe Ayuda (Help Exists) Toolkit
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About the Toolkit

Acknowledgments

Arte Sana—a national Latina-led nonprofit organization committed to ending sexual violence and aggression and engaging marginalized communities as agents of change—prepared this toolkit. Arte Sana (Art Heals) promotes awareness, healing, and empowerment through bilingual professional training, community education, and the arts.

The following people and organizations helped in the development of this toolkit and/or the Existe Ayuda project:

Arte Sana Staff

Laura Zárate, Project Director
Oralia Díaz, Communications Coordinator (2001–2008)
Elisabet Mateos, Communications Coordinator (2008–2011)

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Project Consultants

Iris Carrillo, Existe Ayuda Evaluation Consultant, Illinois (2006–2007)

Ivonne Ortiz, Existe Ayuda Evaluation Consultant, Florida (2006–2007)

Lina Juarbe-Botella, Existe Ayuda Evaluation Consultant, Wisconsin (2007)

Melina Castillo, Existe Ayuda Logistics Consultant, Texas (2009)
Lourdes Kaman, Existe Ayuda Logistics Consultant, Texas (2009)
Jaime Arizpe, Existe Ayuda Evaluation Consultant, Texas (2006–2007)
Arely Sulvarán-Achenbach, Evaluation Consultant (2007)
Stephanie Mesones, Consultant, California (2010)
Virginia Pérez-Ortega, Consultant, New Mexico (2010)

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Existe Ayuda Online Creative Group Collaborators

Celeste C. Araujo, Indiana
April Buentello, Texas
Maria Ines Butler, Washington, D.C.
Alva Moreno, California
Jeanette Ocasio-McLain, Florida
Patti McCabe, Texas
Aline Jesus Rafi, Georgia
Merrie Rennard, Georgia
Lynne Walter, North Carolina
Arely Sulvaran-Achenbach, Texas
Jessica Coloma, Michigan
Clara Galvan-Lindstrom, Oregon
Marta Sanchez, New York
Erika Colindres, California
Ivonne Ortiz, Florida

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Alianza Latina en contra la Agresión Sexual (ALAS) Contributing Members

Melina Castillo, Texas
Clara Galvan-Lindstrom, Oregon
Aimee Loya, California
Cathy Nardo, Pennsylvania
Marta Sanchez, New York

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National Pilot-Testing Project Partners

The following entities supported or allowed staff/volunteers to attend the pilot-testing phase of this project:

Esperanza: The Immigrant Women’s Legal Initiative of the Southern Poverty Law Center
D.C. Rape Crisis Center
DeKalb Rape Crisis Center, Georgia
East Los Angeles Women’s Center, California
Family Services, Wisconsin

Florida Council Against Sexual Violence
Gwinnett Sexual Assault Center & Children’s Advocacy Center, Georgia
Healthy Families MOM Project, Indiana
Health and Human Services—Office of Border Affairs, Texas

Mujeres Latinas en Acción, Illinois

New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault

North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence
North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Posada Esperanza, Texas

Rape Assistance and Awareness Program, Colorado

Refuge House, Florida
SafePlace, Texas
Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center, Florida
Sisters of Color United for Education, Colorado
Tapestri Inc., Immigrant and Refugee Coalition Challenging Gender Based Oppression, Georgia

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Product Demonstration Partners

A special thank you to the following agencies and partners that allowed their staff to participate in the Existe Ayuda product demonstration sessions in 2009.

Tennessee

Kentucky Domestic Violence Association
Citizens Against Spouse Abuse, Inc.(in Missouri)
Young Women’s Christian Association of Greater Memphis
Immigrant Justice Project – Southern Poverty Law Center (in Georgia)
CEASE, Inc.
Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
SafeSpace, Inc.
Partnership for Families, Children and Adults
The Village/El Pueblo (in Mississippi)
Mattie Rhodes Center (in Missouri)
Bridges of Williamson County
Sexual Assault Resource Agency (in Virginia)
Legal Aid Society
Safe Harbor (in Virginia)
Child and Family Tennessee
Coalition Against Rape and Domestic Violence (in Missouri)
Rappahannock Council on Domestic Violence (in Virginia)
Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance

Florida

Women’s Commission / Programa Confianza (in North Carolina)
Voces Latinas (in North Carolina)
Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Emory University (in Georgia)
HOPE Family Services, Inc.
Palm Beach County Victim Services
MUJER, Inc.
Palm Beach County Victim Service
Crime Victims Resource Network
Family Counseling Services of Greater Miami
Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking
Rural Women’s Health Project
Crisis Center of Tampa
Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center
Victim Service Center

California

San Francisco Women Against Rape
Sure Helpline Crisis Center
North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center
Young Women’s Christian Association Greater Los Angeles Sexual Assault Crisis Services
Monterey County Rape Crisis Center
East Los Angeles Women’s Center
Tri-Valley Haven
Family Services
Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center
SafeQuest Solano
Mountain Women’s Resource Center
Battered Person’s Advocacy (in Oregon)
The Rape Crisis Center (in Nevada)
Consejo Counseling and Referral Service (in Washington)
Sexual Assault Resource Center (in Oregon)
My Sisters’ Place (in Oregon)
The North Coast Rape Crisis Team

Iowa

Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Seeds of Hope
Sheltering Wings (in Indiana)
ASISTA
Latinas Unidas por un Nuevo Amanecer
Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center
Polk County Crisis & Advocacy Services
Rockland Family Shelter (in New York)
First Step
Crisis Center & Women’s Shelter
Rape Crisis Center of Central Massachusetts
Mujeres Latinas en Acción
Young Women’s Christian Association of Western Massachusetts
Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
MUNA, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Council on Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence

Texas

Enlace Comunitario (in New Mexico)
Latino Community Development Agency (in Oklahoma)
New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence
San Antonio Police Department
Women’s Shelter of South Texas
Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Inc.
Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Center (in Colorado)
TESSA (in Colorado)
Domestic Violence & Abuse Center, Inc. (in North Dakota)
Domestic Violence Intervention Services (in Oklahoma)
Irving Family Advocacy Center
Mujeres Unidas / Women Together
Casa Amiga Centro de Crisis, A.C. (in Chihuahua, Mexico)
Houston Area Woman’s Center

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Office for Victims of Crime

We are also grateful to the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) staff for their dedication to improving the treatment of Latina/o survivors of sexual assault and for providing the encouragement, technical assistance, and funding needed to develop this product. Among the staff, we particularly want to thank—

Joye Frost, Acting Director
Mary Atlas-Terry, Victim Justice Program Specialist
Kathleen Gless, Victim Justice Program Specialist
Marie Martinez, Former Grant Manager

NCJ 234271

This product was supported by grant number 2006–VF–GX–K005, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the Nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has seven components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Community Capacity Development Office, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. More information about OJP can be found at http://www.ojp.gov.

U.S. Department of Justice
Eric H. Holder Jr., Attorney General
Office of Justice Programs
Laurie O. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General
Office for Victims of Crime
Joye E. Frost, Acting Director

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Office for Victims of Crime
810 Seventh Street NW., Washington, DC 20531
The Office for Victims of Crime is a component of the Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Department of Justice.
Office of Justice ProgramsOffice for Victims of Crime. Justice For Victims Justice for All.