May 1, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Survivor Services Are Public Safety: PCAR, Community Leaders Call for $12.5 Million Investment at Eastern Region Advocacy Meeting
LANCASTER, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), alongside local leaders, advocates, and community partners, convened an Eastern Region Budget Advocacy Meeting to highlight the critical role of sexual assault services in strengthening public safety, supporting survivors, and sustaining healthy communities across Pennsylvania.
Held at YWCA Lancaster, the meeting brought together legislators, law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers to underscore a unified message: survivor services are essential infrastructure, and failing to fund them puts entire communities at risk.
The meeting included participation from state lawmakers, including Sen. Scott Martin, Rep. Tom Jones, Rep. Nikki Rivera, and Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, who engaged directly with advocates, service providers, and community leaders on the impact of funding decisions on survivor services.
Across sectors, speakers emphasized that sexual assault services do not operate in isolation. They are deeply integrated into systems that communities rely on every day, including law enforcement, education, healthcare, and the courts.
“Support for survivor services helps us prosecute our cases,” said Heather Adams, Lancaster County District Attorney. “When survivors have the support they need from sexual assault centers, we see greater participation in the legal process. The best way to improve public safety is to prioritize these services.”
From campus safety to community response, leaders highlighted how rape crisis centers serve as a critical bridge between survivors and the systems designed to protect them.
“One of the biggest trends we see is that students don’t have all of the information they need,” said Pete Anders, Chief of Police at Millersville University. “Sexual assault is not a college problem. It’s a societal problem. The ability to provide a warm handoff to sexual assault advocates is not a want, it’s a need.”
Advocates stressed that these services extend far beyond crisis response. They support prevention efforts, train community professionals, and ensure coordinated responses that strengthen entire systems of care.
“Supporting victim survivors is really a community effort,” said Mandy Billman, Director of YWCA Lancaster’s SAPCC. “When we fund sexual assault services, we are not only better equipping ourselves to do this work, but we are better equipping other professionals in the community.”
Despite their critical role, Pennsylvania’s rape crisis centers have faced years of flat funding, workforce strain, and instability during state budget delays.
“Imagine not getting a raise for six years,” said LaQuisha Anthony, Executive Director of WOAR Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence. “Imagine not getting paid for four months. This can’t continue.”
Speakers warned that the consequences of inaction are already being felt across communities.
“It really feels like we’re at a point where it’s now or never,” said Christine Zaccarelli, CEO of the Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County.
Ali Perrotto, CEO of the Sexual Assault Resource and Counseling Center (SARCC), underscored the broader consequences of continued underinvestment in survivor services.
“The only thing legislators are moving is survivors around like a pawn on a board,” Perrotto said. “They are sending the message that survivors don’t matter.”
She emphasized that when funding falls short, it forces impossible choices across rape crisis centers, weakening the systems that communities rely on. Law enforcement, prosecutors, and schools all depend on these services to respond effectively and prevent harm.
“We are spending billions of dollars on vital services in the state of Pennsylvania,” she said. “And a $12.5 million increase doesn’t seem like much.” Perrotto’s message was clear: funding survivor services is not optional. It is essential to public safety and the strength of communities across the Commonwealth.
PCAR is calling on the Pennsylvania General Assembly to approve a $12.5 million increase in state funding for rape crisis centers. This investment would help stabilize services across all 67 counties, strengthen prevention efforts, and ensure survivors have access to the care they need when they need it.
When survivor services are underfunded, the impact extends far beyond individual programs.
It affects law enforcement’s ability to investigate cases, prosecutors’ ability to secure justice, schools’ ability to prevent harm, and communities’ ability to respond effectively.
When we fail to fund survivor services, we are not just failing survivors. We are weakening public safety systems across Pennsylvania.
“Survivors cannot wait,” said PCAR leadership. “Investing in these services is not optional. It is essential to the safety, health, and future of our communities.”
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