A counselling centre that helps victims of sex crimes is pleading for donations.
Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA) fears that without help from the public, victims will suffer in silence.
Jen Ollinger came to the centre two years ago to seek help for abuse she suffered 17 years ago as a six-year-old.
She was able to get counselling right away, adding she's not sure what would have happened if she had been forced to wait for help.
"I probably would never have spoken to anybody. You know when you're at a place in your life where you're willing to talk to somebody, you need somebody there to talk to."
As Calgary's population grows and more abuse victims come forward, there just aren't enough counsellors to go around. CCASA now has 160 on a waiting list.
"The wait right now, sadly, for people that are not in crisis or who hasn't been recently sexually assaulted is between four to six months, which is heartbreaking for us as an agency," said Danielle Aubry, CCASA's executive director.
Calgary's police chief says it's crucial that victims get counselling because they often need help as they prepare to testify in court against their attackers.
"It's absolutely imperative that there's support for them, that they get the counselling. It's not something that's even optional so I certainly support CCASA in their role, in their move to obtain additional resources to ensure that that counselling is available for victims," said Chief Rick Hanson.
CCASA would like to hire another two or three counsellors but needs another $180,000 to $200,000. To donate or get more information, please visit their website.
