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Cleveland Rape Crisis Center urges community outreach, launches needs survey
Summary
Andrew Defreitas of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center updated Cleveland Heights council on services across four counties, called for leaders to share referral information and asked residents to complete a community needs assessment survey.
Andrew Defreitas, senior director of public affairs for the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, briefed the Cleveland Heights City Council Committee of the Whole on the center’s services and asked local leaders to help publicize a community needs assessment survey.
Defreitas said CRCC provides trauma-informed counseling, a 24/7 hotline and victim advocacy across Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Ashtabula counties, and runs prevention education programs that reach about 40,000 students and community members annually. He told the council the center maintains local offices, including at Shaker Square, and a Glenville drop‑in center focused on human‑trafficking survivors. He urged council members to “mention Cleveland Rape Crisis Center when someone is looking for help” and to share a QR code and web link to an anonymous community needs survey.
The briefing emphasized that CRCC’s services are free and survivor‑centered. Defreitas said the organization works with law enforcement, courts, schools and hospitals to provide victim advocacy so survivors do not need to repeat their experiences to every agency they encounter. He described prevention education delivered in local schools and community settings and noted the center has existed in the region for roughly 50 years.
Council members asked several operational questions. A council member asked whether CRCC maintains an office in Cleveland Heights; Defreitas said the center has an office in the City of Cleveland and that CRCC will send an advocate to a police station or hospital when needed. Councilwoman Larson asked whether CRCC has space inside schools; Defreitas said staff previously were in classrooms every day and that prevention programming is “one of the least funded” parts of the organization’s work, so CRCC typically responds to requests from districts for programming.
Defreitas also shared the organization’s website, clevelandrapecrisis.org, and said he was available after the meeting to answer questions. He and council members briefly discussed CRCC’s annual fundraising event (the “Sing Out”), which is being reorganized.
The council did not take formal action on the presentation; the item was informational. Defreitas asked attendees to distribute the survey link and QR code to residents and local professionals to help shape CRCC’s community needs assessment.
