Mary Ellen Stone, executive director of King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, spoke to the Maple Valley Rotary Club at their weekly meeting about the center’s mission, vision, values and services.

For over 34 years, the center has made a difference in the lives of people who had nowhere to turn when their lives were affected by sexual assault. The center is there to help people through the legal process, listen to their stories, help them put their lives together, and educate the community.

The center served a total of 2,828 primary clients in 2009, provided legal advocacy for over 1,255 children, teens and adults, and therapy for 179 teens and adults. Prevention Education and Training reached over 3,000 people through information and awareness, skill-building and social change programming.

Of the clients served in 2009, 62 percent were from South King County, 52 percent were children and teens, 80 percent were female, 59 percent were caucasian, and 55 percent were abused by a family member; only 10 percent were abused by a stranger.

Stone encouraged the group to help end the silence by talking to at least three people about sexual assault. Stone claims that there has been a 38 percent decline in child assault because people are talking about it and bringing it more in the open.

To learn more about the center, visit their website at www.kcsarc.org

Become a Facebook fan of the center searching for King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. The center’s 24-Hour sexual assault resource line is 888-988-6423

The Maple Valley Rotary Club meets Friday mornings at 7:15 for breakfast. If you are interested in attending a meeting or learning more about rotary, contact Fritz Gottfried at 206-391-7429.