Founded in 1974 as Community Action Against Rape (CAAR), The Rape Crisis Center (RCC) began as the combined effort of Florence McClure and Sandra Petta, two women living in Las Vegas who were outraged by the lack of resources and respect for those affected by sexual assault. Mrs. McClure ran The RCC out of her home, with the goal of helping those in Clark County heal from the trauma of sexual violence, and today, the goal remains the same.
Currently, The RCC serves all of Clark County, Nevada. The organization is committed to providing crisis intervention, advocacy, support, and education to those affected by sexual violence. In order for The RCC to assist victims in the transition to become survivors, our non-profit organization depends on a core base of dedicated volunteers and staff. These individuals are empathetic and enthusiastic people who give their time, energy, and personal sacrifice to continue to serve Clark County’s victims of sexual violence. This service is provided through face-to-face and over-the- phone intervention with newly victimized individuals.
Mission
We commit to offering help, hope, and healing to those affected by sexual violence. We provide education, awareness and support as far as our ourms can reach. |
As the cities and communities in Clark County continue to grow at unprecedented rates, so does the need for social services. In 2005, the United States Census Bureau put the population of Clark County at 1,800,000, a 23.5% increase since the year 2000 when the population, according to the Census, was 1,375,765 (United States Census Bureau, 2005). With the rise in population comes the challenges of infrastructure needs and increased crimes of violence. Nevada consistently ranks as the most dangerous state to live, based on “considered factors” such as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft rates. (All given equal weight based on per 100,000 population, as cited by Crime State Rankings 2005, 12th edition Morgan Quinto Press.) The Office of Victims of Crime states that the national average of forcible rape within metropolitan areas is 31.8% while Las Vegas faces 42.2% per 100,000 people. Las Vegas, therefore, reports 10.4% over the national average. This population increase challenges The RCC to continue to provide high standards of much needed outreach, education and client services throughout Clark County.
The RCC recognizes the extreme importance and valued work of the volunteer base as instrumental in the infrastructural goals of the organization. Therefore, the organization is continually expanding its volunteer core, which creates a need to provide more training, workshops, and social gatherings. As Clark County’s demographic growth presents more stress on the overall infrastructure, it is the responsibility of The RCC to serve the entire population, including underserved communities and areas including the Latino communities, and the outlying cities of Mesquite, Laughlin, and Moapa. Through advocacy, outreach, and education, The RCC is committed to continuing the work of helping clients across a broad demographic and geographic spectrum that are faced with sexual violence.
In 2008 The RCC provided advocacy to just over 730 victims and doubled hotline calls to just over 8,000. Going into 2009 The RCC is committed to culturally competent services and growing to better serve Southern Nevada by adding counseling services and the first in Nevada to provide a trained advocate that is proficient in American Sign Language. |
