By Dylan Hart
For the holidays, Sexual Assault Survivors Support has organized a donation drive supporting the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. The drive is collecting non-perishable food, hygienic supplies, clothing and bedding.
“I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a long time,” said Mary Sokolowski, the organization’s vice president and organizer of the drive. “As a sexual assault survivor, I understand how it feels to be alone for the holidays.”
The drive started Oct. 18 and is expected to end Dec. 13. Sokolowski said the drive has “exceeded expectations” and has already received 220 donations — mostly women’s clothing. She also noted that a lot of the donations have been professional clothing, which is a good addition to the drive.
The drive supports domestic violence and sexual assault victims at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic. The clinic runs a food bank and health center for community members and provides shelters for both genders, which was a key factor in Sokolowski deciding to give to the organization.
“I think it’s important to recognize that men can be victims, too,” she said.
SASS worked with students to create holiday cards for victims on Nov. 7 as well, which will also be donated to the shelters.
Donations can be taken to boxes in the COMPASS office, the Career Center, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Harborside Activities Board.
Sokolowski hopes to work with other organizations and the local community to expand the holiday drive next year. She said that SASS is also considering another drive for the spring.
