During times of crisis, it’s important for students and community members to understand what resources are available to them. 

Tuscaloosa SAFE Center 

The Tuscaloosa SAFE Center is a nonprofit agency that provides 24-hour health care, advocacy and counseling services to those who have experienced sexual assault. The SAFE Center provides medical and forensic exams for patients who request one within three to four days of an assault.

Brenda Maddox, the SAFE Center’s executive director, said a majority of patients are Tuscaloosa community members, but the organization receives a sizable portion of patients from The University of Alabama.

“The University does a great job with resources for advocacy and counseling. [However], it does not have the ability to provide the medic-forensic component,” Maddox said. “That is where we come in.”

The SAFE Center partners with the University to provide healthcare and subsequent follow-up care to students. Maddox said this care is important for first-semester students, as it is a high-risk time for sexual assault cases.

“More than 50 percent of college sexual assaults occur in August through November,” Maddox said. “[Students] are often away from families and hometowns for the first time and encountering situations where alcohol is readily available.”

Maddox said 20% of college students don’t report their sexual assault cases to law enforcement because they know their assailant and feel pressured to protect the perpetrator. 

“They fear reprisal,” Maddox said. “They didn’t feel like they would be believed.” 

The SAFE Center alleviates some of these concerns for victims of sexual assault. Because it is a confidential agency, patients never receive a bill for services, and the staff only report the assault at the patient’s request, except in certain cases when the SAFE Center is required by law to report.

In addition to collecting forensic evidence, the SAFE Center can assess injuries and treat against sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies.  

The Women and Gender Resource Center 

The Women and Gender Resource Center is a nonprofit organization connected with the UA Division of Student Life. The WGRC provides free, confidential and voluntary counseling and advocacy services to survivors of interpersonal violence. 

WGRC services are also provided to family and friends of abuse survivors, Shelton State Community College students,  and anyone who has been victimized on The University of Alabama campus.

Jackie Northrup, assistant director of the WGRC, said the organization has partnered with other agencies in Tuscaloosa to benefit members of the community for over 20 years. 

“We have had a steady partnership with Skyland Elementary School for more than a decade as the host site of our Young Women Leaders Program and Young Men’s Leadership Program,” Northrup said. “We’ve also worked with them on women in STEM projects and other initiatives.” 

The SAFE Center and the WGRC coordinate aid and resources for UA students. 

“We work hand in hand with the WGRC, who supplies advocates for the medical exam, and we can assist in getting them in touch with WGRC for counseling and/or Title IX as requested,” Maddox said. 

In addition to their preexisting services, the WGRC is currently running a hygiene product drive alongside the Hispanic Interest Coalition’s Stronger Families program. 

Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. To recognize this, the WGRC is partnering with the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, or HICA, to collect hygiene products for Hispanic and Latino survivors of domestic abuse until the end of September. The project is headed by the WRGC’s Action Team, which is composed of volunteers. 

Northrup said students can support the project even if they cannot donate items. 

“Students can still get involved by sharing information about the program on social media,” Northrup said.

All items will be delivered to HICA in the first week of October and will benefit survivors who utilize HICA‘s Stronger Families program.

The product wishlist is available through Amazon. All contributions are to be shipped or directly dropped off to the WGRC at 1101 Jackson Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.