November was the first month individuals could begin pre-scheduling their Colorado Gives Day gifts to CCASA. Thanks to the CCASA Board, pre-scheduled gifts will go even further. The board will donate an extra $500 dollars if 20 Colorado Gives Day donations are scheduled before December 7th. Donor support is crucial to the work CCASA does. It allows us to create survivor-centered legislation, train sexual assault advocates statewide, and explore concepts like restorative justice. We have endless gratitude for your generosity. You can make your Colorado Gives Day gift at https://www.coloradogives.org/ccasa/.
November is Native American Heritage Month. While CCASA honors and supports Native and Indigenous communities year-round, November is a time for us all to look at how we can center the voices of Indigenous individuals and communities. This month, Gina Lopez, CCASA’s Rural and Indigenous Communities Specialist, wrote about the historical declarations made in 2021 and paths to honoring Native and Indigenous communities in Colorado. Visit our site to read Gina’s statement about how we can honor native communities.
On November 10th, CCASA hosted the first meeting of our Restorative Justice Project. This project, helmed by Jenna Harper, our Sexual Assault Response Program Manager, gathers teams from across the state to learn about restorative justice and move toward implementing restorative justice practices in their communities. The first meeting was an opportunity for advocates and professionals to get to know each other and assess their communities’ needs. CCASA is excited to work with, and learn from, experienced restorative justice practitioners alongside each Restorative Justice Project team.
November 18th, CCASA participated in a press conference regarding the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act. We worked with Michael Nimmo, Esq. who consulted and testified on the landmark legislation and will be representing survivors who want to hold civilly liable the institutions that knew, or should’ve known, of their childhood sexual abuse. Two survivors spoke about their stories and the importance of this act to them. Survivors of sexual abuse that occurred within institutions between 1960 and 2021 will have a three-year window, beginning January 1, 2022 to file these civil claims. We encourage you to share information about the Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act with your networks. Survivors have the right to know about their paths toward civil recourse. Learn more about the implementation of this legislation.