PALM COAST, Fla. – Peer to peer support has been shown as an important way to connect with individuals struggling with PTSD, mental health or substance abuse issues. Sharing her story, Erica Rivera has made it a mission to help those grappling with the effects of sexual assault and domestic violence with the creation of the National CARE Foundation.
Hosting her third event in recognition of World Denim Day, Rivera shared origin story of the global movement, while taking a lap around the European Village in Palm Coast.
While the crowd was small, the commitment of those assembled to helping victims is great. Rivera was joined by Northeast Florida Crime Stoppers board members Ed Fuller and Roland Clee in addition to retired Flagler County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Gail Wadsworth, Nikki White, Dr. Maria Dowling, and Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin.
Presenting a proclamation on behalf of the City of Palm Coast, Alfin said everyone needs a advocate.
“Even though we are few in numbers, the message that we are broadcasting tonight about awareness and women in so incredibly important. Everybody here, everybody around the country, everybody around the world knows somebody that’s a victim. This affects everybody, every day,” said Alfin.
“I’m thrilled to be here for the third anniversary of our local event. We will create the awareness here locally and make sure the message is loud and clear.”
Rivera was touched by the support, and teared up while recounting the victim’s story that marked the day and sharing her own story.
“As a survivor myself it’s definitely heartfelt. I didn’t see this day really coming. Our first annual was a shock to me. I actually am a victim of sexual assault times three. I was sexually assaulted as a child, then I was sexually assaulted as a homeless teen here in Palm Coast, and then I was sexually assaulted again during my time in the military. Because I was sexually assaulted here as a teen in Palm Coast, at the time, it was so long ago, we didn’t have the resources we have now. I kind of had to navigate that by myself. I never thought there would be a day when I would need an organization or even have the City of Palm Coast be so supportive in terms of the education and the awareness that we’re putting out there,” said Rivera.
“Just having the mayor here doing that proclamation every year, it still feels fresh. It’s just so touching and I couldn’t be any more grateful.”
While Rivera turned to dance as a way to cope with her trauma, she knows others choose different coping mechanisms, and hopes to be a leading voice in their time of need.
“At the National CARE Foundation is a nonprofit where we dedicate ourselves to providing support services to sexual assault and domestic violence survivors as well as other traumatic circumstances. Today specifically is the 25th anniversary of Denim Day. This is our third annual here in Palm Coast. Normally on Denim Day we wear denim and teal in solidarity with sexual assault victims and a lot of people ask why Denim Day.”
“Denim Day was actually created 25 years ago through Peace Over Violence, a different nonprofit, that recognized this movement of solidarity through someone’s very specific sexual assault case,” explained Rivera.
“There was a woman in Italy who had gotten raped by her driving instructor and the Italian Supreme Court actually threw her case out because she was wearing tight jeans. So, they had in mind that if her jeans were too tight, that her driving instructor must have helped her take her jeans off, thus implying consent. Now the women from the Italian Parliament the next day went to the Parliament dressed in denim to stand in solidarity with her and then Peace Over Violence kind of adopted that movement and I decided it would be cool to bring that to Palm Coast in order to do the same and stand in solidarity with the victims that are local to our community.”
“Community awareness is a big part of it. I urge our public to support preventive services. A lot of what we do in our organization is educate on ways to prevent sexual assault as well as provide services and resources for survivors. The biggest component is making sure we get that education out there,” she said.
