Saskatoon Sexual Assault & Information Centre
#201 - 506 25th Street East S7K 4A7 Saskatoon, SK, Canada

Psst...friendly reminder to treat yourself with the same love & kindness you give others. [Image Description: A smartphone inspired reminder appears on a maroon background with light and dark purple dots and pink foliage. The reminder text reads "Give yourself the same love you give to others. You are worthy!"]

Let’s talk about the #MeToo Movement. Swipe to learn about the history of this movement and why it’s still so necessary. [Image Description: Three cartoon characters wearing pink, marron, and orange, embrace side-by-side on a blue background. The title reads "Let's Talk About: The #MeToo Movement and Sexualized Violence in the Workplace". The thread goes on to discuss the origin of the Me Too movement, it's impact, and sexualized violence in the workplace in SK and in Canada.]

SSAIC presents...I’m the Boss of Me, our Child Sexual Abuse Education Program! We don’t post about ITBOM much, but it’s a huge part of our programming for 3 months of each year. I’m the Boss of Me is a puppet show + lesson plan program for Grade 4 students (currently within Saskatoon only) that teaches them that they are the boss of their bodies. ... Normally we visit classrooms and hang out with the kids for an hour, but C-19 forced us to make other plans. We’re officially two days into our 15th season, and we’re so happy to share that our virtual presentation has been successful so far! Thank-you to teachers, school counselors, and of course the students for being patient with us + still allowing us into your classrooms! Also a huge thank-you to our partners at @gscsfoundation & @saskatoonpublicschools, as well as our funder Community Initiatives Fund! To learn more about I’m the Boss of Me, visit SSAIC.ca/ITBOM.

Taking care of our mental health is so important. Find support that fits for you in a culturally safe way.

Harmful myths like this one are a piece of r*pe culture, something we all consciously or unconsciously contribute to. Challenge your personal biases by analyzing these myths against your own thoughts and beliefs, and find more myths like these on our website. P.S. SSAIC provides services to folks of all genders, sexual & romantic orientations, religions, creeds, and socioeconomic levels. So for our local survivors out there, know that support is available here for you. ... [Image Description: Text on a maroon background reads "Myth: Men are less traumatized by sexualized violence than women." There are lighter maroon squiggly lines moving toward the edge from the center of the image. The SSAIC logo is at the bottom of the image.]

Our heartfelt thanks and physically distanced embrace goes out to YOU! #BelieveSurvivors #YouAreWorthy

Today’s mantra: You’re doing great. You can do hard things. You are capable and valuable. ... [Image Description: Text on a dark purple background with foliage on the border reads: So far you've survived 100% of your worst days. You're doing great.]

A great post on the cycle of traffickers by Hope Restored Canada!

Our next round of Trauma-Informed Virtual Yoga is coming up in 2021! Anyone is welcome to self-refer into this group by calling our office at 306-244-2294 (our office is closed from Dec. 23 @ 2pm to Jan. 4th @ 9am, but you can leave a message!) This group is designed to help trauma survivors become reacquainted with and find comfort in their bodies. All 8 sessions are free of charge and hosted via Zoom. ... See you in the (virtual) studio! [Image Description: a person in a maroon outfit is doing a yoga pose on a poster advertising Trauma-Informed Virtual Yoga.]

ICYMI: some #MeToo news from over the holiday. Read Regina Sexual Assault Centre's Executive Director Lisa Miller's observations on how the now infamous survivor Instagram page has sparked change in Regina.

Joyous though it claims to be, sometimes the holiday season can be incredibly taxing or triggering. Read our top 5 tips on surviving the holidays and putting yourself first in these last few days of 2020! Throw some more tips in the comments as well!... [Image Description: Snowflakes and ornaments hang from the top of a green background. Black script text in the middle reads "How to: Survive the Holidays" and "5 Tips from SSAIC" with the white SSAIC logo beneath. The thread discusses self-care and boundary setting tips.]

Monday Mantra: The struggle is real, but so is your strength. So is your capability. ... So is your resilience. Honour both. [Image description: A cream square sits on a blue background with snowflakes. Maroon text reads "My STRENGTH is greater than any STRUGGLE". The SSAIC logo is at the bottom of the image.]

We’re back in action this morning! Happy New Year from SSAIC. Have you heard? Our next round of Trauma-Informed Virtual Yoga is coming up in 2021! Anyone is welcome to self-refer into this group by calling our office at 306-244-2294. ... This group is designed to help trauma survivors become reacquainted with and find comfort in their bodies. All 8 sessions are free of charge and hosted via Zoom. See you in the (virtual) studio! [Image Description: a person in a maroon outfit is doing a yoga pose on a poster advertising Trauma-Informed Virtual Yoga.]

TW: child sexual abuse, sexualized violence. Our #HolidayGivingCampaign this year is centered around sharing survivor stories and focusing on the incredible resilience and inherent worth of survivors. Each week of December, more of Jill’s story will be revealed and illustrate the complexities of sexualized violence that so many of our clients experience. This week, we get a look into Jill’s early adulthood and the beginnings of her accessing support. ... Jill’s full story has been posted to our #Blog - read her whole story at SSAIC.ca/blog. Find all the details of our #HolidayGivingCampaign and donation details at SSAIC.ca/holiday-giving-campaign-2020. Your support makes a difference. #BelieveSurvivors #YouAreWorthy

We’re live in 3 hours! It’s not too late to register. Tune in at 2pm today with Staff Sgt. James Repesse as he discusses the in’s and out’s of reporting and investigating sexual assaults. SSAIC.ca/vsocw2020 to register!

Stressed? Distracted? Triggered? We can help with that! Give this quick little exercise a try to ground yourself in the present moment. ... Grounding exercises don’t have to be complicated to be effective. Comment your favorite emoji if you tried it out! [Image Description: A gradient background with text that reads: Grounding Exercise. Focus on your breathing, then identify: 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste.]

Program Spotlight: The Shift Project through PLEA Saskatchewan (Public Legal Education Association) The Shift Project is a brand new initiative in Saskatchewan that provides up to 4 hours of free legal advice to survivors of workplace sexual harassment. It is available to survivors of any gender or age, regardless of income. Consultations with lawyers can be by phone, email, in-person, or through video conferencing. ... Get more information from PLEA by emailing [email protected] or calling 306-944-8422. Visit their website at shift.plea.org.

In honour of Woman Abuse Prevention Month, let’s talk about Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. To learn more about how you can make a difference, visit the Native Women’s Association of Canada website nwac.ca/policy-areas/mmiwg/ #NoMoreStolenSisters... #MMIWG [Image Description: white text reads Let’s talk about: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls over top of a red handprint and a maroon background. Two yellow hashtags reading #NoMoreStolenSisters and #MMIWG are underneath the text with the SSAIC logo. The thread discusses MMIWG statistics in Canada.]

Happy Winter Solstice! Time for a little change up The winter solstice is not only the shortest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere, it’s also a time representative of rest, reflection, and rejuvenation before we shift toward summer once again. We’re sending you warm wishes, cozy feelings, and peace during this time. ... [Image Description: the purple SSAIC logo sits on a winter white background with a snow covered pine tree coming into the image from the right. The logo is layered over the tree.]

Allies are critical to the support of survivors and the end of r*pe culture. They are not merely helpers; allows embody the movement and actively take steps to create change in their lives on the issues they care about. Hands up if this is you! ... [Image Description: Two hands hold pinkies in the background of a lilac image. Text reads: "Ally: noun, al-ahy. One that is associated with another as a helper; a person that provides assistance and support in an ongoing effort, activity, or struggle. Not merely a helper; holding a common interest of those you’re trying to help."]

Our final newsletter of 2020 is now live! Read our holiday survival tips as well as some SSAIC updates. SSAIC.ca/newsletters to read it & our entire archive of past newsletters. Subscribe to ensure you don’t miss a thing SSAIC.ca/newsletter-subscribe. ... [Image description: a brown wreath of red berries, white flowers, and pine needles makes a border around red and green text that reads "December 2020 Newsletter." The background is a pale blue colour.]

In honour of Victims and Survivors of Crime Week 2020, SSAIC presents our newest resource: What to Expect when Reporting a Sexual Assault. Reporting is a very personal decision, and SSAIC supports all survivors in whatever decision they make. We aim to provide survivors with all the information they need to make an informed decision, and reporting is no different. View or download this resource at SSAIC.ca/vsocw2020. ... #VictimsWeek

It's Adoption Awareness Month! Be sure to check out the Adoption Support Centre of Saskatchewan's page and campaign to see how you can make a difference. <3

Mantra for today: Breathe in. Hold it. ... Breathe out. Hold it. Breathe in deeper. Hold it. Breathe out longer. Hold it. Rinse & repeat. You’ve got this. [Image Description: the words Breathe Deeply are in yellow cursive text on a green background.]

November 25th is #InternationalDayForTheEliminationofViolenceAgainstWomen, and we must take action. Swipe to read about the history of this day, and how you can make a difference for the womxn in your life. [Image Description: Womxn in multicolored clothing march with flags on a yellow background. The title reads "November 25, 2020: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women". The thread goes on to discuss the origin of the day, its purpose, statistics, and resources for survivors and loved ones.]

The impacts of C-19 haven’t been all bad; with everyone at home and not gathering together, SSAIC is excited to add webinars to our list of public education services!! We have two webinars left in 2020 - which one will we see you at?? Join us in a conversation about workplace sexual harassment on Nov. 25, or learn about human trafficking in SK from an expert in the field on Dec. 8th. ... Register now (for free!) at SSAIC.ca/flws (donations gratefully accepted)! P.S. if you can’t join us live, register to receive the recording of the webinar! [Image Description: a poster advertising SSAIC’s Fall Learning Workshop Series - Part II has a cream background with dark purple, maroon, and green paint strokes on the sides.]

Join in on this amazing Saskatchewan Prevention Institute webinar on Tuesday! https://fb.me/e/8jbGgTCxO

The goal of #VictimsWeek is to draw attention to survivors of crime and their experiences within our systems. For SSAIC specifically, we aim to bring attention to survivors of sexualized violence, and for 2020 in particular, their interaction with the criminal justice system. In addition to our live presentation with Staff Sgt. James Repesse on Thursday, view our prerecorded webinar with Linh Lê, Understanding Sexual Assault Trials, at SSAIC.ca/vsocw2020.

Our Shifting the Culture of Sexual Harassment webinar is TOMORROW at 2pm, and you won’t want to miss it! But don’t fret - you can still register at SSAIC.ca/flws. ... See you tomorrow!