Metro East Every Survivor Counts

06/03/2026

Each year, Take Back the Night brings our community together to stand against sexual violence, honor survivors, and raise awareness about an issue that impacts far too many lives. This event represents hope, healing, advocacy, and our collective commitment to creating safer communities for everyone.

We are grateful for the community partners who joined us this year and helped make this event possible. As a certified sexual assault crisis center, we are proud to provide free, confidential services to survivors of sexual assault and other impacted individuals, ensuring that support, advocacy, counseling and resources are available when they are needed most.

Thank you to everyone who participated, shared their voices, and stood with survivors this year and last year. We look forward to partnering with our community again next year and hope even more organizations and individuals will join us in this important work.

April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month may be over but that doesn’t mean our support and efforts to promote awareness of sexual assault within our community and our services ends after that month.

Together, we can continue raising awareness, supporting survivors, and creating meaningful change!!

everysurvivorcounts

05/27/2026

Metro East Every Survivor Counts has a dedicated team of advocates ready to assist sexual assault survivors with a variety of needs. We aim to ensure that survivors understand their rights and options and that they receive the support they need to overcome any obstacles they may face while navigating the aftermath of sexual assault.

Please note that advocates are not attorneys and will not give legal advice. To learn more about Metro East ESC’s free and confidential advocacy services, please call our hotline at 618-397-0975.

05/26/2026

Come join us tonight at 5:30 PM at our Alton office for group counseling!

It’s Tuesday, which means group counseling takes place tonight!
Group counseling sessions are open to all survivors every Tuesday at 5:30 PM at our Alton office. No need to call ahead - walk ins are welcome! All of Metro East ESC’s services are free of charge, including group services.
We hope to see you there!

05/22/2026

Liza is all smiles and ready for a wonderful day at the Kindergarten Fair in Cahokia! 💞 As a therapy dog with Metro East Every Survivor Counts, she’s here to bring comfort, connection, and a sense of safety to children, families, and vulnerable community members.

Be sure to stop by our table to learn more about our services such as advocacy and counseling and especially our prevention education programs, including body safety, healthy boundaries, and safe dates education and resources for youth and families.

We’re proud to support our community through advocacy, education, healing, and hope—one conversation and one paw at a time.

05/21/2026

Victim blaming happens when a survivor is told to take responsibility for some or all of the harm that was inflicted upon them, rather than placing the blame solely on the offender who chose to cause that harm. Too often, survivors find themselves being questioned about their actions or being told what they should have done to stop it.

When speaking with a survivor, remember that sexual assault is never the victim’s fault. Nobody wants or deserves to be sexually assaulted. Steer clear of victim blaming language, and focus instead on how you can support them. A simple “I believe you” goes a long way.

05/20/2026

Sexual assault is a widespread issue in the US, and the statistics are alarming. Even if you have not experienced it yourself, it is extremely likely that someone you know has been sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Unfortunately, most survivors choose not to report largely due to stigma, fear of retaliation, or other reasons.

Sexual assault is a topic that may be uncomfortable to talk about for some, but openly addressing the problem is how we can take steps towards not only helping survivors heal and receive justice, but also preventing sexual violence before it happens through awareness and education.

(statistics from the graphic can be found at RAINN.org)

05/19/2026

It’s Tuesday, which means group counseling takes place tonight!
Group counseling sessions are open to all survivors every Tuesday at 5:30 PM at our Alton office. No need to call ahead - walk ins are welcome! All of Metro East ESC’s services are free of charge, including group services.
We hope to see you there!

05/18/2026

Sexual violence can have a significant impact on a survivor’s mental health. In the immediate aftermath of a sexual assault, many survivors report feelings of shock, disbelief, numbness, fear, and anger. It is also not uncommon to experience nightmares or dissociation. For some, these feelings and symptoms may subside within hours or days, but others may continue to struggle long term.

It’s important for a survivor to keep a close eye on their mental health as long term effects may unexpectedly surface months or years in the future. This could happen due to a specific trigger or could occur randomly and can result in feelings of negative self worth, trust and intimacy issues, and sleep disturbances. Survivors may also develop certain mental health conditions such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance abuse, or dissociative disorders.

Remember: it’s okay to not be okay, and help is available. Whether it happened 30 minutes ago or 30 years ago, Metro East ESC is here to serve survivors at any stage in their healing process by providing a 24/7 hotline for survivors in immediate crisis, free counseling to specifically address sexual trauma, and referrals to other mental health services if additional support is needed.

05/15/2026

Too many amazing people to fit into one frame that came to the Take Back the Night Event hosted on SWIC’s Belleville campus 🩵 thankful to all that attended, participated in a resource table, presented and shared their experiences as well as those who helped to plan the event for the 2nd year in a row. Looking forward to the 3rd one next year 🤩