Get help, get out - Stand Up Placer helps domestic violence victims

If you think you are a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault or you think someone you know is, call the crisis line anytime at 1-800-575-5352.

Empowering survivors, educating communities and saving lives, one local nonprofit is looking to change the statistics.

Stand up Placer is a crisis center for domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking victims.

There are two locations, in Roseville and Auburn, as well as a safe house for victims who need to get away from their attacker.

Having a safety plan or an idea on how to get away from a situation is essential for men, women and children to overcome their attackers and escape from a bad place.

"It really changed the path these women are taking," said Jenny Davidson, CEO and executive director of Stand Up Placer.

According to Stand Up Placer, one in four women will be a victim of domestic violence at some point in their life.

The safe house they offer has 55 beds for women and children and they are almost always at capacity.

In addition to housing, they offer counseling, financial coaching, legal advocacy or anything to help the women get back on their feet again.

They have a service to get people signed up for Medi-Cal or other county programs without waiting in long lines at the various service locations.

Court accompaniment is also a service they offer for those who don't feel they can face their attacker in court alone.

"It can be intimidating for them," said Laura Chavez, advocacy and operations manager.

Having a close relationship with the Placer County Sheriffs Office, the FBI and the Roseville Crime Suppression Unit helps to bridge the gap and help the victims in any way possible.

"We plan the stings with the departments. We take the victims into a different room and let them know we are there to help them," said Davidson.

Stand Up Placer also does outreach to high schools and colleges and offers courses on teen dating violence and what red flags to look for.

"A large portion of our teens are suffering from teen dating violence but not noticing the signs," said Davidson.

The college education focuses on campus rape and how to curb the statistic that says in the first six weeks of college a woman is most likely to be sexually assaulted.

"Society has accepted the norm of teaching young women to protect themselves but has failed to teach young men what consent is," said Chavez.

The services offered at Stand Up Placer are free and can also be in any language since they have access to a language service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For some people the right path to take would be to leave and for others that isn't what is right for them, Stand Up Placer helps create a safety plan to fit the need of each client.

"Part of what abusers do is start off by destroying self confidence," said Davidson.

Stand Up Placer works to help women understand that they are deserving of something better, said Chavez.

It is important if a person comes to you and says they have been assaulted to believe them, said Davidson.

"Listen to their story and connect them with us," she said. "They are never going to be alone if they connect with us."

If you think you are a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault or you think someone you know is, call the crisis line 24/7 at 1-800-575-5352.

Stand Up Placer is also always looking for donations for the safe house and for the clients, visit standupplacer.org for more information.

And they are looking for volunteers to help in a plethora of positions. Visit the website or call 530-823-6224 for more information.

The Thrift Store

The Thrift store opened at the new location on June 10, and operates on one paid staff and a handful of volunteers.

One of the programs that Stand Up Placer offers are job readiness courses, and the women are able to learn job skills that they can ultimately use at the thrift store and elsewhere.

All of the thrift store proceeds go back to an unrestricted funding source for Stand Up Placer that allows them to use the money in creative ways.

The funding could help with tires so a person could get away from their attacker or a track phone so the victim could text or call for help if needed.

The best part about the thrift store is that all of the victims, the clients of Stand Up Placer, can shop for free.

"It is a great cause so it is really easy to work for," said thrift store coordinator Kim Bayer. "It is amazing to see them walk out so happy."

For many, this is the first time they are able to choose what style of clothing they want to wear or how they would like to dress.

"It makes them feel important and valuable," said Davidson.

Items donated by the community go back to help the families buy items for their children or something as simple as sweat pants.

For the human trafficking victims, being able to wear something comfortable is a luxury they did not have before, said Chavez.

"It is very empowering to be able to lounge in baggy pants," she said.

Right now the thrift store is open five days a week, but Bayer is hoping to get more volunteers so they are able to be open seven days.

The thrift store relies on donations. If you would like to donate, bring items to 1740 Santa Clara Drive in Roseville. You can call 916-771-4941 with questions.