More Than A Thrift Store: The Mission Behind SACs Thrift Avenue

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

Have you ever cleaned out your closet or downsized your home and wondered what to do with useful items that aren’t yet past their prime? Two organizations in Trenton that accept gently used items are Servant’s Heart (covered in the Aug. 21 Sentinel) and SACs Thrift Avenue.

Sadly, the New Salem Clothing Bank, which served as both a place to donate items and find items for free, closed its doors last week. The clothing bank was fully volunteer run out of New Salem Methodist Church, and Margie Eash who managed the clothing bank reported that the project had simply run its course. The volunteers are thankful for support from the community over the years.

The good news is that SACs Thrift Avenue is thriving. The thrift store first came to Trenton at the end of 2021, but it has grown significantly since then. It is run by employees and volunteers, all of whom feel passionately about the mission behind the store.

The Sexual Assault Victim Advocacy Center (SAVAC) opened its main office in Fort Oglethorpe in 2008. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit is a state certified sexual assault center serving Dade, Walker, and Catoosa counties. SAVAC served Dade residents out of its main office until the group established a satellite office in Trenton in 2021.

Along with the satellite office, SAVAC started a thrift store to help fund the center’s programs (supplementing grants and other fundraising efforts). “SAC” in the store’s name stands for “Sexual Assault Center,” a shortened nod to SAVAC’s full name. The office is still located in the corner of Gross Shopping Center (by the barber shop), but the thrift store quickly outgrew that space and moved several doors up to just north of Dollar General.

Kristy Lawson (SAVAC executive director) said, “As soon as that space became available, we took a leap of faith and rented it, and it’s done very well. Those ladies in that store are very hard working.”

Indeed, the store receives so many donations that occasionally, they’ll take a break from collecting in order to catch up on organizing.

Cynthia Whittington (store manager) said, “SACSs Thrift Avenue is blessed to be a blessing to our community. We do what we do for the hope of blessing others.”

When the Sentinel visited the store, one shopper said that she comes in almost every week, both to donate and to shop. “It’s a blessing to our community,” she said earnestly.

Lawson said that in addition to raising money for SAVAC, the store offers affordable items to the community and raises awareness about sexual assault, prevention measures, and support for victims.

SAVAC’s website includes a long list of sobering statistics as reported by the National Crime Victimization Survey at the Bureau of Justice Statistics and RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network). Several include:

• On average, there are 433,648 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault each year in the United States.
• One in nine girls and one in 53 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault at the hands of an adult.
• 82 percent of all victims under 18 are female.
• One out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime.
• One out of every ten rape victims are male.
• About three percent of American men—or one in 33—have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.

All of SAVAC’s services are offered free of charge to victims of sexual assault. SAVAC offers: 24-hour hospital accompaniment, on-site forensic medical exams, one-on-one crisis intervention, personal advocacy, court accompaniment, information and referrals, and counseling and support groups.

The current counselor at the Trenton office is a woman who specializes in trauma, and another who works on a contract basis recently led a support group.

Of on-site medical exams, Lawson explained, “People may not want to report sexual assault because they’re dealing with a lot of trauma and a lot of times they don’t want to talk about it.” However, if SAVAC completes a medical exam at the time, there is then evidence for the judicial process should victims later decide that they want to press charges.

Of advocacy, Lawson said, “An advocate is someone who is with that victim, supports that victim. If they do report and go to court, that advocate can go with them and be there for that support.”

Noting that 75 percent of assaults aren’t reported, Lawson said, “It’s important for victims to know that even if they don’t report, they can still receive services—all which we provide for free.”

SAVAC also provides lots of information about prevention and awareness. Lawson said, “A big part of our job is prevention.” They have resource tables at local events, they’re involved with Dade First Family Connection and the Glow Run, they offer information to the schools, and they’re involved with the regional Teen Maze event.

Lawson said they offer schools information on topics “from consent to internet safety to human trafficking.” She added that they led Erin’s Law training in the Dade County Schools. Some school systems lead this training in-house; others bring in groups like SAVAC to lead it.

The law is named for Erin Merryn, an abuse survivor who first introduced child sexual abuse prevention legislation in Illinois. Erin’s Law (now in effect in 38 states) requires public school personnel to learn about the warning signs of child sexual abuse, mandated reporting, how to respond to disclosure, how to talk to parents, and how to teach students about sexual abuse prevention.

Teen Maze events help teenagers see the consequences of life choices. All tenth-grade students in Dade, Walker, Catoosa, and Chattooga public schools attend the Teen Maze in Catoosa. While designed to be fun and interactive, the event covers difficult subjects like drunk driving, substance abuse, legal consequences, sexually transmitted infections, teen pregnancy, depression, suicide, and bullying. SAVAC has a booth at these events so teens can learn about prevention and the resources available for victims.

Victims often find SAVAC through law enforcement or a trip to the emergency room, but they can also contact the center directly. The local hotline number is 706-419-8775​. Lawson said that word of mouth is very helpful in letting people know about their services, but they also have good relationships with local law enforcement, so that agencies are able to connect victims with SAVAC.

SAVAC’s board is intentionally made up of members from a variety of backgrounds. Lawson said, “We try to get board members from various aspects of the community. We have some bankers, a pastor, schoolteachers, an attorney, a retired law enforcement, and different business representatives.”

In conclusion, Lawson said, “Sexual assault is a subject nobody wants to talk about, but it’s important that we do talk about it and bring awareness and education—not just about the dangers but also what services are out there for victims.”

SACs Thrift Avenue is open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds from the store go toward SAVAC’s work. Call 706-657-3070 to find out what items the store is accepting.

For more information about SAVAC, visit www.savacenterga.org.