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Community Outreach

At the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, the work of our Outreach program is rooted in relationship-building, collaboration, and increasing accessibility. The main intention of Outreach at VSAC is to weave strong, collaborative, reciprocal connections both within the organization and with community members and partners, in order to:

  • Increase visibility of VSAC’s services throughout the Greater Victoria region.

  • Identify and address gaps in support systems for survivors of sexualized violence.

  • Reduce barriers that prevent survivors from accessing the support and resources they need.

OUTREACH event doing crafts at VSAC

The Community Outreach Collaboration Group

This working group is made up of VSAC staff whose roles include an element of community engagement and outreach. We meet monthly to:

  • Coordinate outreach efforts across departments to ensure consistent messaging and to avoid working in silos.

  • Collaborate on events, initiatives, and educational resources that reflect VSAC’s values and meet the evolving needs of our community.

  • Share insights and strategies, supporting each other in effective and sustainable outreach practices.

Outreach in the Greater Victoria Community

The Outreach program at VSAC is active and visible, and a key component of the organization’s success. Some of our ongoing community-facing efforts include:

  • Presenting “VSAC 101” – an educational presentation that provides an overview of VSAC’s values; history; services; referral pathways; and trans-inclusivity work.

  • Attending community network meetings and events, to be visible in community, stay connected with a wide range of partners and organizations, and stay informed about gaps, and community needs/challenges.

  • Building and maintaining collaborative relationships with community partners such as:
    Good Night Out, Peers Victoria, Victoria Coalition for Survivors of Torture, University of Victoria, and Victoria Women’s Transition House.

Supporting the Education program with facilitating prevention-based workshops for both youth and adults.

close up of thread and fabric for crafting.

Meet Our Prevention Team 

Anoushka Thakkar (she/her)

Program Coordinator

Anoushka is a local to Bombay, India, where she was born and raised, before moving to the unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ nations in 2023. With a background in mental health, Anoushka is currently exploring the field of health communication, a path that has deepened her commitment to fostering inclusive networks and empowering marginalized communities, particularly within QTBIPOC spaces. Over the past five years, she has gained experience in research, community outreach, education, and service delivery within the healthcare sector. Contact: [email protected]

Allison Macrae (she/her)

Prevention Education Coordinator

Allison facilitates school-based consent education programs through the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre’s sexual violence prevention department Project Respect. She was raised in her native home of Scotland and has been a settler on the unceded Coast Salish territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ nations for 25 years. Allison has a background in childhood education, community management and improvisational theatre. She is passionate about effective, inclusive consent education, and is also currently working as a counsellor with a focus on supporting the LGBTQ community. Contact: [email protected]

Annaléa Sordi (she/her)

Research Manager

Annaléa has over 10 years of experience in program evaluation and youth participatory action research design, implementation and dissemination through her work at community-based research organizations in Alberta and BC, as well as trauma-informed practice working with youth and adults living with mental health issues and disabilities. Contact: [email protected]

Sneha Wadhwani (she/her)

Community Outreach Coordinator

Sneha Wadhwani is a queer Indo-Canadian with ancestral ties to Sindh in what is now known as Pakistan. Born in Indore, India, and raised on Anishinaabe land in Nogojiwanong (Peterborough), Sneha is grateful to be an uninvited guest on lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ land. She has been exploring decolonial and anti-oppressive work through the lenses of research, community organizing, and yoga for 10 years. Outside of work, you can find Sneha writing poetry, hiking, or salsa dancing. Contact: [email protected]

Outreach Collaboration

Through these projects, Outreach strives to work in collaboration across VSAC departments and with community members/partners, to uplift one another’s efforts, and remain responsive to the needs of the communities we serve.

3 Outreach Staff members at an event.
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