Geneseo Director of Student Care Services and Title IX Coordinator for Students Tamara Kenney and student volunteers are supporting “SUNY’s Got Your Back," the SUNY system-wide effort to provide victims of sexual and interpersonal violence with care packages of essential items and clothing.
The project, led by SUNY’s Title IX Coordinators Association, provides victims and survivors “comfort bags” of necessary items, such as a toothbrush, soap and shampoo upon their arrival at local shelters and hospitals.
Because those fleeing from abusive situations often arrive at shelters and other safe places with little more than the clothes on their backs, English major Hannah Embry '18, spearheaded the campus effort of organizing clothing donations, the proceeds of which? will be added to donated toiletry kits and packed inside backpacks. Personal care items were donated by JM Murray of Cortland, and bags sponsored by The New York State Police Campus Sexual Assault Unit.
Geneseo students will fill and distribute 100 backpacks. The packs will be distributed to RESTORE, a sexual assault services program in Rochester, and Chances & Changes, a domestic violence program that serves victims in Livingston County.
"We are happy to have an opportunity to help the people in our community when they need it most," said Kenney, “and it's especially gratifying to work with students who have great empathy for others.”
The initial goal was to provide 2,016 backpacks during the 2016-2017 academic year from SUNY campuses to local rape crisis and domestic violence programs. As of November, over 10,000 packs have been distributed.
In addition to "Got Your Back," SUNY recently unveiled two web-based tools to support victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. The first resource is a mobile website — SUNY Sexual Assault & Violence Resource (SAVR)— which lists resources and contact information available by SUNY campus or zip code. The second is a multilingual resource — Visa and Immigration Resource for Colleges and Universities — which colleges and universities can customize to share critical information with international students.
For more information about “SUNY’s Got Your Back,” visit the project’s webpage.