{"id":30989,"date":"2016-02-18T16:51:15","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T22:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=30989"},"modified":"2016-02-23T14:19:12","modified_gmt":"2016-02-23T20:19:12","slug":"sexual-abuse-survivors-get-new-support-facility-in-skokie-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/sexual-abuse-survivors-get-new-support-facility-in-skokie-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Sexual abuse survivors get new support facility in Skokie"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Stephanie Golden<\/strong><\/p>\n

The opening of the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center\u2019s<\/a> Skokie facility expands on 30 years of free services for abuse survivors and their families.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think there is anything more upsetting than an innocent child being assaulted, taken advantage of and mentally manipulated to think what happened to them is their fault,\u201d said Amy Junge, the nonprofit’s CEO.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

[vimeo 155896254 w=474]<\/p>\n

Dozens of people gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony this week at 4232 Dempster St. Often referred to as the ZCenter, it offers free counseling, support groups and advocacy services to sexual abuse and assault survivors and their non-offending loved ones in a unique healing environment. The center\u2019s warm and inviting atmosphere is an important part of the healing journey, said Adam Robinson, ZCenter executive director.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives them a space to heal those wounds so they will not have to continue on feeling powerless or out of control but feel a renewed sense of who they are, their purpose and their meanings,” Robinson said.<\/p>\n

The organization served more than 40,000 people last year at its Gurnee location according to ZCenter officials. To address the increasing number of sexual abuse survivors, it was important for the organization to add a second facility.<\/p>\n