Kate Krug Garvey, chief executive officer of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KSARC), briefed the Des Moines City Council on April 24 about services available to survivors and accepted a proclamation declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Des Moines.

Garvey said KSARC provides a 24-hour resource line, legal advocacy, medical advocates to assist with forensic exams, therapy services (including trauma-focused PTSD therapy), bilingual and culturally specific services and prevention education in schools. "All of our services are free and confidential," Garvey said during the presentation.

She noted that KSARC serves about 4,500 individuals and family members each year and that about half of its clients are teenagers and children. Garvey said survivors from marginalized communities face elevated risk and that services are available in Spanish and through staff fluent in ASL and Somali. She also described the legal timeline for criminal and civil cases in King County, saying the process can take several years.

The council unanimously approved a proclamation recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and invited residents to use KSARC’s 24-hour resource line and other services. Garvey and council members emphasized prevention education in schools and community outreach as priorities.

The presentation and proclamation were informational; no council policy or funding action was taken at the meeting.