Dear Friend of The Advocacy Center,

Recently, a story in the El Paso Times reported that a man, considered one of El Paso’s most-wanted fugitives, had been arrested for two counts of indecency with a child. I was asked at a presentation if I was “shocked” by the fact that someone could sexually abuse a child.  Sadly, last year, six children a week, almost one child a day, came to the Advocacy Center due to reports they had been fondled, raped, exposed to pornography, or otherwise sexually assaulted.  In their interviews, many gave details so graphic they could never be repeated in the daily news. 

 For many of the over 500 children interviewed at the Advocacy Center last year, the horrific acts we call child abuse are simply a part of their daily lives.  Consider the nine-year-old whose father punched him daily with his fist over and over.  He arrived at the Center with severe bruises on his stomach and arms.  He was one of 84 children who came as a result of physical abuse.  He had just received a beating before being dropped off at school, a janitor saw him kneeled over grasping his stomach and reported the physical abuse.

 Think of the six and eleven-year-old who were in the next room while their parents argued, they heard their mother scream as she was shot. Their father then shot himself. Or imagine what life is like for the four sisters and one brother, ages 12, 11, 10, 9 and 5 who survived their entire lives being raped by their father, then were ostracized and threatened by their own family when they told the truth about what had happened to them. 

 If the details shared in these accounts are difficult to listen to, how much more difficult are they for a child to live through?  We owe these children safety; we owe them the opportunity to be heard; we owe them the opportunity to heal.  This is what the Advocacy Center for the Children of El Paso does for the children who walk through our doors.  We meet them in a home-like environment, where a variety of trained professionals are ready to conduct forensic interviews, to provide counseling services, and to help end the cycle of abuse.

 We hope that you will support our efforts to make sure that the children of El Paso County will always have a place to go where they will be protected and where there will be a professional who is ready to listen.  Your compassion and your generosity mean the world to these children.  On their behalf, I thank you for your support, and I extend every good wish for you and your family.

Sincerely,

Susan H. Oliva

Executive Director