UCI Giving Day 2019

“I did not apply myself in education for most of my life. It was not a place where I was safe, and it was a place that had traumatized me throughout my life. I knew this would not be the case at UCI because of the CARE office. The sense of safety and security CARE provide[d] me with allowed me to fully flourish as a student. I am very proud to say that I graduated in 2018 within the top 2% of my school. I do not think I would have had the courage and tenacity to apply myself to my education if it not been for the CARE office and the services it provides.” (Marley ’18)

Founded in 2005, the UCI CARE office provides free and confidential support services to members of the UCI community impacted by sexual assault, relationship abuse, family violence and/or stalking. UCI CARE engages the campus and surrounding community in education, programming and transformative action in an effort to end all forms of interpersonal violence and abuse.

CARE believes that every member of the UCI community deserves the right to live, work, study and socialize in a community free of violence. However, repeated surveys consistently identify high rates of interpersonal violence in college and university settings, with 1 in 4 college women experiencing attempted or completed rape during college (1 in 3, lifetime) and 1 in 6 men experiencing some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. In addition, vulnerable cultural and community specific groups (communities of color, undocumented persons, members of the LGBT community, individuals with a disability) experience power-based personal violence at even higher rates.

During the 2017-2018 year, CARE Advocates provided support to 228 students and more than 20 staff and faculty members impacted by sexual violence, relationship abuse, family violence and/or stalking. In addition to advocacy support, more than 20 holistic healing programs were delivered (online and in person) reaching more than 1,500 students, faculty and staff. These programs included trauma-informed yoga, personal safety and self-defense, aromatherapy and mindfulness, downloadable resources and videos, and animal assisted therapies.

The CARE office also responded to 113 workshop and training requests last year that provided education to 16,812 members of the campus community.

Given the increased demands for support services and programs over the past several years, CARE has identified priority areas for funding to support the well-being and safety of the campus community.

CARE’s primary funding priority is to support survivors on campus via a Survivor Fund with food, transportation, counseling, housing assistance/relocation and other safety or wellness needs they may have – including support and healing programs, resources and materials. In addition to the new survivor’s fund, funds will also provide support for programming that aims to prevent violence by providing members of our campus community with the skills and knowledge to both intervene to prevent violence, as well as provide a supportive response to the people in their lives that have been impacted by trauma.

The impact of having additional funding for support services and programming is far-reaching. It translates into healing, empowerment and support for those impacted. It often results in the successful completion of the educational experience. It is, without a doubt, life changing and lifesaving. And with your help, together we will create a space of safety and healing.