Yingling Visits Gurnee Sexual Abuse Center During Budget Crisis

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. – State Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, toured the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center in Gurnee Thursday. The state budget crisis is threatening the nearly thirty five year old organization that offers community training and healing services to the victims of sexual violence. Zacharias helped over a thousand survivors last year. Without a state budget, services for over a thousand victims are in jeopardy.

“Centers like Zacharias in Gurnee offer round the clock support lines, medical and police advocacy, legal and mental counseling for survivors of sexual assault. To continue helping survivors of sexual abuse heal and rebuild their lives, we must give social services like Zacharias the support they need to keep their doors open,” Yingling said. “Meanwhile, Governor Rauner refuses to propose a balanced budget to fully fund vital services that keep our children and families safe. That’s wrong.”

“I support designating April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, but labeling a month doesn’t keep resources like the Zacharias center available to our community,” said Yingling, “Our budget crisis is destroying community assets that help children and adults when they are most vulnerable, and Governor Rauner refuses to put them first. I will continue to try to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to pass a responsible, balanced budget that gives social service providers like Zacharias the support to continue to serve our community.”