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Regent University is a Christian Institution Offering Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral Degrees Located in Virginia Beach, VA 23464

Caring for Sexual Assault Survivors

For survivors of sexual assault, the journey from fear to freedom can take some encouragement and help. Rape survivor Rosemary Trible started an organization, Fear2Freedom, to provide for sexual assault victims.

https://youtu.be/EHUHspOnoQo

“What individuals don’t know is when they go to the hospital, all of their clothes have to be kept for evidence,” said Rosemary Trible from Fear2Freedom. “At our hospitals, victims of sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence are walking out in paper scrubs. Tonight, we’re putting together these wonderful Fear2Freedom kits full of sweatpants, T-shirts and underwear and toiletries, all sized up to 2X, and then toothpaste, a toothbrush and a combing brush. A lot of times they’re going to shelters, sometimes to foster care.”

Putting together those kits were Regent University undergraduate students. They gathered Tuesday evening to learn more about the prevalence of sexual assault, resources for recovery and how they can get involved to make a difference in the lives of survivors.

“It’s a big problem that we’re facing in our society,” said Joshua Liotta, Campus Ministries ’16 (College of Arts & Sciences). “Even as small of a campus as we may be, we’re Christian leaders to change the world. To be a part of this is huge, to get people to start realizing the problems that are happening in our society and how we can change things.”

In addition to providing clothing and teddy bears, students wrote notes of encouragement to those who would receive their gifts. Half of the packages are being sent to Cambodia where Destiny’s Promise will deliver them to children who have been rescued from sex trafficking. Within the past three years, Fear2Freedom has delivered more than 9,000 kits to similar victims of sexual crime. The organization works with 15 hospitals and 15 universities in Virginia and four other states. It has a presence in seven countries and has worked with CBN’s Orphan’s Promise.

“There is no good in life without serving,” said Liotta. “When our campus is involved, when our campus is serving other people, we are imitating who Christ was. Christ went out to the least of these and served the least of these. I think that’s what our heart is, to serve others.”

“I’m so proud of all of these students to be that change and to restore that joy,” said Trible.

Students were able to assemble the kits in less than a half hour.