Announcing Our 2019 Hope & Healing Gala Awards
The Hope and Healing Gala is this Friday May 17th, and one of our favorite gala traditions is to honor those in our community who are working to move our mission and vision forward. This year we will be honoring Ashley Love with our Pillar of Hope Award and Vikki Kilminster-Bird with our Volunteer of the Year award. Learn more about these two incredible individuals below.
2019 Pillar of Hope Award
Ashley Love, Activist, Tattoo Artist, Founder of Still Not Asking For It
Ashley has been working in the tattoo industry for 15 years and currently resides at Yellow Rose Tattoos. Her journey as an activist began when she realized the lack of true sympathy for sexual assault and rape survivors in her tattoo community. She created Still Not Asking For It with the purpose of finding real allies, bringing them together, and showing the community that we are here, and we care. Still Not Asking For It is a tattoo flash fundraiser born in 2015 in Salt Lake City. Now a global event, Still Not Asking For It has raised over $360,000 to increase awareness, prevention and recovery from sexual assault and rape. Proceeds from events around the world benefit organizations which aid in prevention, healing and justice for survivors. Read more about Still Not Asking For It here.
2019 Volunteer of the Year
Vikki Kilminster-Bird, Crisis Line Volunteer, Outreach and Education Volunteer
Vikki volunteers at the Rape Recovery Center supporting both our Advocacy and Outreach Departments. She brings passion and dedication to her volunteerism, and when asked what she enjoys most, she shared, "It is most certainly to be able to be there for a survivor when they are desperate to seek help. Being the first point of contact on the crisis line, I feel rewarded when I can direct someone to become more calm, more empowered to help themselves, and to let them know that there are many resources available as support to them during their terrible ordeal." Outside of the RRC, she enjoys spending time outdoors, going to concerts and music festivals, and sharing time with her friends and family.