(file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Clothing donations

BASAC starts “Peggy’s Closet” to help survivors of sexual assault

Jan 13, 2023 | 3:11 PM

Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre (BASAC) wants to reduce some of the trauma for survivors going through the process of reporting a sexual assault incident.

Executive director Amber Stewart said when victims go to the hospital following an assault, they are asked to have what’s known as a Sexual Assault Collection Kit completed in the process.

In doing so, if they choose to proceed with the kit, all of their clothing items are collected as forensic evidence for the RCMP investigation, leaving the victim without clothing and, at times, shoes to wear home afterwards.

“The hospital doesn’t have clothes to give,” Stewart said. “If it’s in the day, that’s fine I can run to Walmart and buy something [for the victim].”

However, if the person is leaving the hospital at 3 a.m. for example, there aren’t many options in a hurry to find clothing for them to wear home.

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Stewart said despite the hospital staff’s best efforts, women may end up leaving the facility with only a gown, housecoat and hospital slippers after they have already experienced trauma and gone through the forensic examination, which is not an easy ordeal.

In response to this need, BASAC has created some space at its current offices in North Battleford where it will collect donations of gently used women’s clothing, such as sweats, leggings, T-shirts, sweaters and shoes; and new sports bras, underwear and socks.

“We needed this [initiative] desperately,” Stewart said.

Going forward, if a victim who is at the hospital is in need of some clothing, BASAC volunteers will be able to quickly gather some items from the donations received, and bring them to her. This way, she will have clothes to wear when she leaves.

“The very least we can do is make sure these women have clothes to go home in,” Stewart said.

People who want to donate clothing items or make a cash donation can do so at the BASAC location at 1211-98th St. in North Battleford, during office hours.

Stewart said the initiative will be called “Peggy’s Closet” – in recognition of BASAC founder Peggy Westwood, who started the organization 43 years ago.

A formal dedication to launch the project, and also pay homage to Westwood for her commitment to BASAC will take place in February.

“We want to honour her. And, we want to honour the women who speak up…, and make sure we continue to provide care. Whatever victims of gender-based violence need, we want to be able to support them in that,” Stewart said.

Westwood has also given her blessing to the project.

“Peggy has always been a supporter of [BASAC],” Stewart said. “She has always been an advocate for victims and for women in the Battlefords. She started this work when it was hard to recognize that this work was even needed. The women at BASAC today stand on the shoulders of women like Peggy Westwood that started this all for us back then.”

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW