Red Deer Unite, Take Back The Night

Our Story

Take Back The Night brings people together in a public forum to unite efforts to "Shatter the Silence and Stop the Violence". Survivors of sexual violence find strength in knowing they are not alone.

Red Deer Unite Take Back the Night began as a college project among five students who are now graduates of the Social Work Diploma Program at Red Deer College. The class project was to engage the community in an event as part of a required community leadership course. Five students passionate about advocacy for sexual assault survivors and some survivors themselves, they decided to focus on the topic of sexual violence, and so Red Deer Unite Take Back the Night came to be. Despite the #metoo movements, sexual violence is still a topic that experiences much stigma and often victims are blamed due to myths regarding such violence. In recognizing this, the goal of last year’s Red Deer Unite Take Back the Night was aimed at bringing the community together to debunk myths surrounding victim-blaming, and ultimately create a safe space where individuals will feel heard and know that they are supported.

After experiencing such an overwhelming response from the community of Red Deer, four of the students, Jade Fleury, Shentel Kerr, Meagan Gaalaas, and Skylar Remple have decided to continue annually with Red Deer Unite Take Back the Night in hopes of continuing to not only create a safe space, but to hopefully bring changes in perspectives. We strive to shed light on the issue of sexual assault within not only the community of Red Deer but all across our country, and to offer support, resources, and advocacy. This year the group will be collaborating with Jessica Dinan of the Red Deer Public Library, and Sadia Khan and Dianne Macaulay from Central Alberta Sexual Assault Support Centre to put forth an unforgettable event for 2019.

Organizers:
Meagan Gaalaas, Shentel Kerr, Jade Fleury, Skylar Remple, Jess Porringa-Dinan