Sexual Assault Care Bags

Our Inspiration

This project began when a mother of a sexual assault survivor walked into the ACMSI office with a hand-sewn cloth bag and asked about local resources for victims.

The bag she had with her came from a sexual assault program in another location. It was a message of kindness during the most horrific day of her and her daughter’s life. To this day, she has kept this bag, a symbol of kindness, which has a label sewn in it “with love in every thread”. 

This began the ACMSI There For YOU! Sexual Assault Care Bags project. 

About Our Care Bags

There For YOU! supplies first responders with handmade Care Bags containing information, resources, and comfort items for sexual assault survivors.

These thoughtfully created Care Bags are designed to help alleviate the immediate effects of trauma and aim to cultivate a compassionate atmosphere where survivors can embark on their healing journey with dignity and hope.

Care Bags may include:

  • Survivor resource and information guide

  • VINE information

  • Advocacy Center brochure and welcome letter

  • Health Resource brochure

  • After Sexual Assault: Common Questions

  • How Family and Friends Can Help a Sexual Assault Survivor

  • HHS Information for Survivors of Sexual Assault

  • Card designed and written by a survivor

  • Coloring sheet, colored pencils, journal, and pen

  • Fidgets, tissues, and other comfort items

By supplying these bags to first responders, There For YOU! hopes to ensure survivors are supported in a trauma-informed manner, from their first interaction.

Want to support our Care Bags?

Contribute to our Wishlist!

Wishlist

Make Your Own Care Bags

Materials:

One yard of material, makes two bags. Each bag requires two 36” pieces of ribbon or cording made from fabric.

Fabric Cut:

36” length and 16” width x 2

Sewing Instructions:

  1. Fold 36 x 16 piece of fabric in half with right sides together. Sew 1/2” seam on both long sides.

  2. To form the casing at top edge for pull ties: Fold over 3/8” of raw top edge onto wrong side and press. Fold again 1 1/2’ and press.

  3. Sew a top stitch 1/4” from the top around the entire top edge. Sew another top-stitch 1/4” from the bottom of the folded casing edge.

  4. Turn right side out and press.

  5. Pick open a 1/2’ opening at both side seams between the topstitching to accommodate a drawstring.

  6. Make 2 drawstrings with either sturdy ribbon or leftover fabric. The length should be 36” for each drawstring. Insert 1 drawstring end through one casing opening and thread it through, tying the ends together at the opposite opening. Next, take the second drawstring and insert it through the second opening, threading it through the opposite opening, and tie ends together. It is important to use two drawstrings so that when both ends are pulled together, the bag is completely closed. This prevents items from falling out of the bag. This technique that threads drawstrings from opposite ends works best to keep the bag shut tightly when the drawstrings are pulled. It is the preferred method for EMT supplies.

When closed, each bag should accommodate a 9.5'“ x 11.5” folder, along with smaller items. Finished bags are approximately 16” L x 15” W.