SARA still helping despite economy woes

By Tasha Kates

Published: October 12, 2008

Like any other business in a softening economy, the Sexual Assault Resource Agency has been cutting back on expenses and nonessential travel.

Employees have taken on more responsibilities, including the workload of the administrative assistant. The position has remained vacant since June, its former occupant not laid off but accused of embezzling roughly $21,000 from the agency in less than a year.

Despite the financial hit, SARA still is able to provide its sexual violence survivor and education services to the community. While the nonprofit moves on from what happened, a few local groups have been fundraising to increase SARA’s coffers.

The Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers, Outdoor Adventure Social Club and Gravity Lounge all have generated money for the nonprofit. Walker Thornton, the agency’s director, said she was pleased to see people supporting SARA after its loss.

“The community has very nicely reached out and shown how much they care,” Thornton said. “It’s nice to be able to go out and say that there are groups of people who feel so strongly about our mission that they have taken their time and money to make sure we get to continue serving the community.”

On Sept. 25, Thornton took the stand in Albemarle County General District Court to testify about unauthorized credit card charges and inaccurate payroll sheets that were discovered earlier this year. Police charged Damon Watson, 26, SARA’s former administrative assistant, in connection with the embezzlement.

In an indictment handed down Oct. 6, an Albemarle grand jury charged Watson with two counts of embezzlement and one count of credit card fraud. A Charlottesville grand jury will review his case Oct. 20.

Thornton said the money taken from the agency came from its general fund, which is raised by the community and the agency’s gala. The director estimates that amount makes up about 5 percent of its budget.

“It has created financial challenges, but we’ve been able to carry out our full services,” Thornton said.

After SARA’s loss made news this summer, Karin Anne Jenkins felt compelled to help. Jenkins, who is a leader in the Outdoor Adventure Social Club, said the group regularly does community service.

“When I saw it on the news, I just thought that was pretty devastating for them,” said Jenkins, who then contacted Thornton. “I thought a benefit concert might be a good way to get a lot of people out.”

The West Main Restaurant volunteered its downstairs space, and a band volunteered to play for a crowd of 75 people. Jenkins said the Sept. 10 benefit raised $1,000 for the group, $500 more than its goal.

Leaders of the Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers had already decided to use one of their events to raise money for SARA. When they heard that the agency had suffered a loss, co-founder Jennifer Tidwell said the group decided to move the event to July. The July 8 matches for SARA garnered $2,375, the most the group has ever raised.

Arm wrestlers create characters and costumes to use during the events. As a result, Tidwell said the group’s leaders were careful about how SARA was presented at the event.

“I felt like it was empowering in that way,” Tidwell said. “We’re proving a point saying we can dress however we want, but still serious about this. We’re not joking about this.”

In addition to the money raised by Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers and the Outdoor Adventure Social Club, Thornton said Gravity Lounge and five local musicians donated time and space to put on a benefit concert for SARA. SARAfest raised more than $800 for the agency.

Back at SARA’s city headquarters, Thornton said experts who have assessed the agency’s financial methods have found all of the checks and balances in place. SARA will continue to do background checks on its new hires.

“There will be stricter oversight,” Thornton said.