Throughout the month of March, the Dickinson College Prevention, Education and Advocacy Center (PEAC) collected anonymous letters to survivors of sexual assault as part of its second annual “Letters to Survivors” campaign. PEAC conducted the campaign in conjunction with the Women’s and Gender Resource Center, the Wellness Center, the Community Studies Center, the PEAC Student Advisory Council and Yes PLEASE!

The national campaign is conducted as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is April. The purpose of the social media campaign is to publicly commemorate the survivors of sexual assault. Most contributors choose to write to someone they know who has been affected, but the letters can be open as well. Anyone in the college’s faculty, staff and student body can submit an anonymous letter to a survivor. PEAC began collecting letters in February.

“The letters have a powerful impact on the campus community, specifically survivors of sexual violence,” said Kelly Wilt, director of PEAC. “They are messages of solidarity and compassion, full of words of hope and support”

Wilt said the 2015 campaign was highly successful and gathered submissions from across campus. They were compiled into a book and made into posters. This year, Wilt hoped for even more contributions, and they will be assembled and displayed at this year’s Take Back the Night Event on April 13. Take Back the Night is an annual march across campuses around the country where participants stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault.

“The #SurvivorLoveLetter campaign is a beautiful way to work through a personal experience or to creatively support survivors of sexual assault. A thoughtfully crafted letter is a powerful instrument of strength that may help a survivor continue their day,” said Danielle Melnick ’17, a PEAC intern. “The letters create a written space of encouragement and empowerment…it is an incredible feeling to send your love and thoughts to someone who truly needs it.”

Anyone who wants to learn more about the national campaign can visit their website, which is http://survivorloveletter.tumblr.com/. Letters can be posted to the PEAC Facebook page.  Contact Wilt at [email protected] with any questions.