Center for sex assault victims needs the public's help

DETROIT - The SASHA center, which provides sexual assault services is in jeopardy of closing.

The director says a grant was just denied and they are looking to the public for help to keep the center open.

After being physically abused and neglected by her mother, a woman - who does not want to be identified - was forced into foster care as a child where she was then confronted by sexual abuse at the hands of her foster dad.

“I was threatened to keep my mouth shut,” she said.

Looking for support, this victim found a place of refuge at SASHA Center, a non-profit agency in Detroit that provides support to survivors of sexual assault.

“I felt it was a safe place to help me get through things I dealt with my whole life,” she said.

Kalimah Johnson, a sexual assault survivor herself, opened SASHA Center five years ago.

“I think it's extremely important that I model for other women who have been sexually assaulted that healing is possible,” said Johnson, the former director of the SASHA Center.

The center is facing a funding crisis, a major government grant was not renewed and organizers say the center may have to close its doors, leaving hundreds of survivors without support.

“If we don't get funding we can't stay open we will have to limit our groups," Johnson said. "Right now, we have four support groups and we would have to stop. Also we have a group every Wednesday we would have to stop."

Johnson says there's a number of ways you can help the center stay open but they need people to act fast so they can continue providing services to those in need.

“We have a GoFundMe account, you want to go to Sashacenter.org and we also will take volunteers but particularly we need dollars,” said Johnson.

This survivor is offering her own plea for people to donate.

“There are a lot of people who really need to be survivors who really need a voice so if you can please donate to Sasha center now,” said the survivor.