The North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center was created out of frustration and desperation at the height of the women’s movement in the 1970’s. In the mid 70s the founder Joyce Howerton was fed up with the lack of support and services for women in the area and decided to create her own hotline in her home garage. All she had was a desk and a landline phone to help connect with the women of the community and provide safe space for those that had been abused. This attitude of continuing to support the community is still alive today with staff continuing to meet those that have been assaulted in person, even at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when other organizations were providing phone support. After somebody has been assaulted and reached this level of crisis, Center staff committed themselves to maintaining that agency mission by providing in-person direct services.

     Ann McCarty, the North County executive director, recounted a moment when she herself was weighing the risks between putting herself in danger versus the needs of women in the community. She remembers getting the phone call that a homeless woman had been assaulted and needing support while waiting in the hospital emergency room. Ann sat in her car for a couple moments debating whether or not she should go inside and put herself at risk in a hospital holding countless COVID patients. In the end she knew that this woman was sitting alone in the hospital and no one else would provide the support that she could, so Ann walked in, gave a hand to hold and a companion to sit with. Agencies around the state providing direct services to survivors of sexual violence faced daunting decisions, and while the decision was not easy for the Center, maintaining consistency for survivors as well as team members was important. Early on in the pandemic most hotlines around the state fell silent leading to false claims that abuse and rape was decreasing during the pandemic. This was almost opposite of the reality when people were stuck at home, frustrated with losing their jobs and not having any sense of stability or security, leading to instances of domestic abuse and rape within the home. Which also proved to be an obstacle for those providing rape services as people could no longer gather in public and service providers could not go out in the community to talk to women and see the evidence of abuse. Presentations to hundreds of children in the county were also halted leaving agency staff fearful that children no longer had access to critical information that could help keep them safe.

     During the difficulties of 2020 and 2021, the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center realized how crucial their services are, especially in a time of emergency and could never close their doors. While we have slowly recovered from the height of the pandemic, the ripple effect from COVID-19 will last for many years to come both socially and economically. Ann along with the rest of her team and staff proved their strength and resilience when they continued to meet women in the community no matter the risk to their own health or their families. While many people in social service work have become jaded and worn down by the issues in the system, the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center proves that people in the field still have a dying devotion for taking care of children and other vulnerable populations, no matter the cost.

To view more information on the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center, click here to access their website.

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