Who We Are

MISSION

To reduce sexual violence and its effects through confidential counseling, advocacy, education, and community awareness for adults and children.

Goals
To maintain a 24-hour crisis intervention service staffed by trained volunteers who are available to victims of sexual assault, their family and friends.
To provide ongoing support to victims, their families and friends, and to provide companion service by accompanying them to hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and courts at their request.
To provide short-term individual counseling and support groups, conducted by a trained professional, for victims of sexual assault, their family and their friends.
To recruit and train volunteers for Crossroads and to provide continuing education in counseling skills and in other aspects of rape and sexual assault.
To encourage the establishment and maintenance of procedures and guidelines for law enforcement officials, medical personnel, court personnel, news media, and other professional groups to deal sensitively with victims of sexual assault.
To establish future goals and objectives in response to changing needs of volunteers and the community.
To find adequate financial resources for Crossroads to implement its goals and objectives in keeping with the nonprofit status of the organization.
To provide community education through public speaking and to maintain a variety of resources such as films, brochures, books and other materials.

Philosophy on Rape and Sexual Assault
Rape/sexual assault is a crime of violence and aggression in which the sexual act is used as the means to control the victim; it is not an act of overwhelming sexual desire or love.
Rape/sexual assault is an extreme behavior on a continuum of behaviors that assailants use to degrade, humiliate and/or control their victims.
Victims of rape/sexual assault do not cause the violence nor are they to blame for the violence they experience.
While rape/sexual assault is illegal in every state, it has been condoned by our society in the past and is still tolerated to the extent that:
- Both victims and assailants may believe that men have the right to sexually abuse both women and children.
- Likewise, professionals have not always been trained to work effectively with assailants or victims and may be operating according to their own values.
False reports of rape/sexual assault are no more common than false reports of murder or robbery. On the other hand, rape is the most unreported of violent crimes.
No group of individuals is automatically exempt from rape/sexual assault due to age, race or sex:
- Senior citizens become victims.
- Child sexual abuse is real.
- Men are sexually victimized.
Rape/sexual assault is often committed by acquaintances, friends, or relatives.
Rape/sexual abuse is a community problem. The problem will continue until society recognizes the problem and works to stop it.
All services delivered by CROSSROADS are based on these basic principles or beliefs. It is necessary for every staff person (employee or volunteer) to accept these beliefs before becoming a part of CROSSROADS.

History

Crossroads, formerly known as Rape Crisis Alliance of Alamance County, began in 1976 when 15 women gathered with the mission of helping one person. In 1986, the previously all-volunteer group became a United Way agency, and the board of directors hired its first paid staff person to serve as agency director. Additional staff positions including crisis intervention coordinator, community educator, and victim advocate followed over the next few years. In its early years, Rape Crisis Alliance volunteers and staff worked primarily with adult rape victims.

With the expansion of services to include children and the increased community education programs, theagency changed its name in 1996 to CrossRoads, reflecting both the expanded services and a solution-oriented approach. During the same year, the agency moved to its current Vaughn Road facility, and these expanded facilities allowed CrossRoads to open a Children's Advocacy Center, which was nationally certified by the National Children's Alliance in 1998.

Phil Bowers, President
Marti Asher, Treasurer
Tina Bryant-Allen, Secretary
Harold W. Bost II, Incoming President
Shirley Baker, Historian
Christine Borzumato-Gainey
Jenny Faulkner
Deborah Jones
Jennifer Jones
Monica Marra
Griffin McClure
Deb Sineath
Linda Williamson