The Golden Women’s Resource Centre will begin delivering the province’s new Sexual Assault Services (SAS) program to the town and Area A.
The exact offerings from the program are yet to be determined, however, it will likely be centred around providing resources and guidance to victims of sexual assault.
Sarah Peacock, the SAS program coordinator at the Golden Women’s Resource Centre will be connecting with other organizations in the community to build relationships and ideas that support survivor-centred services.
The Golden Women’s Resource Centre is one of 68 organizations across the province that will be delivering the SAS program.
Organizations were selected by regional panels through an application process. The panels included external Indigenous reviewers who shared their expertise and insight while evaluating applications.
The Women’s Resource Centre worked closely with the Golden Family Centre, RCMP Victim Service and Metis Nation Columbia River Society from November 2022 to February 2023. During this time, the organizations crafted their SAS application and brainstormed what the program could look like in Golden.
It was initially only possible for the SAS program to be delivered by region instead of locally. However, Linley McLean, the executive director of the Golden Women’s Resource Centre advocated to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for the SAS program to be delivered at a local level.
“It has been our experience that when services are regionalized, Golden and CSRD Area A are underserved,” McLean said.
As the program continues to be developed, up to date information and opportunities for feedback can be found on the Women’s Resource Centre’s website.
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