PUEBLO — Since at least 1976, Pueblo Rape Crisis Services has been around to advocate for and support victims of sexual assault.
While PRCS officially became a nonprofit in 2001, officials said they recently discovered a PRCS letter at its offices that dates to 1976. It was a discovery that came as a big surprise.
“The bigger picture of the history goes back farther than people realize, including us,” said Kristi Roque, the director of PRCS. “We don’t know who formed it then. We just know now that Pueblo Rape Crisis Services has existed since at least 1976. If whoever ran it then is out there, we’d love to hear from them.”
While it appears some of the core services of the PRCS were around in 1976, the agency has no doubt morphed through the years into what it is today.
In 2014, PRCS served 159 primary victims (someone who is directly affected by sexual violence) and served 487 total victims, including the primary victims, hotline calls and secondary victims (loved ones seeking ways to support someone who has been through sexual violence).
Its mission is to empower sexual assault survivors, provide victims advocacy and build community awareness to reduce sexual violence. The agency’s vision is a community free of sexual violence.
PRCS has 12 volunteer victim advocates who are available 24 hours a day.
