LOGAN – April 2024 is the 23rd anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. It may be a great time to recognize the local work of Citizens Against Physical and Sexual Abuse (CAPSA) for their efforts to rescue abused victims and help them become productive members of society again.
CAPSA wants to empower survivors and help them live in safe homes where their children can live without fear
The non-profit center is for helping people deal with domestic violence, sexual abuse, and rape recovery. They are serving people in an around Cache County including Franklin County Idaho and the Bear Lake area. CAPSA provides support services for women, and children impacted by abuse and all services are free and confidential.
CAPSA’s mission is to provide safe, caring, and confidential shelter, advocacy, and support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to reduce incidents of abuse through prevention education.
The organization wants to empower survivors and help them live in safe homes where their children can live without fear. CAPSA’s ultimate goal is to end domestic violence in all of the communities they have committed to help.
The origins of CPASA go back to 1976.
James Boyd, the Logan-based charity’s Chief Development and Marketing Officer, said CAPSA founders were made up of a group of professors, and community volunteers. They started a rape crisis line.
The rape crisis line was part of Utah State University Extension, and it was a hotline originally called the Cache Valley Rape Crisis Team. The calls were directed to the USU Women’s Center.
“Law enforcement began to use the same number for a resource for domestic violence,” Boyd said. “The needs were different. The first domestic violence shelter was in the living room of Jenny and Thad Box.”
Thad Box was the Dean of USU’s college of natural resources at the time and his wife Jenny laid the foundation of the first shelter in the living room of their home.
In 1984 the group purchased their first shelter, a home. In 1985 Somebody’s Attic was founded, and they were able to raise funds to help CAPSA over the years.
“The Box’s had some equity in the building and also owned a building in Smithfield,” Boyd said. “They started Somebody’s Attic that donated money every year to help CAPSA.”
Somebody’s Attic is located at 39 W. 100 N. in Logan, and 3 South Main in Smithfield.
The two secondhand retail locations accept new and used clothes, household items and collectables. The items are sold and 100 percent of their net revenue is donate to some of Cache Valley non-profits.
Last years donations went to :
CAPSA: $125,000
The Family Place: $105,000
CRIC: $20,000
WAB Warming Center: $10,000
The total 2023 Somebody’s Attic donations to area nonprofits was $260,000.
“Last year we supported 2,677 people in Cache, Rich counties,” Boyd said. ”We had 77 people we supported in Franklin County.“
He said last year there was a 26 percent increase in people needing help from the year before.
“We have a 36-room shelter, 21 housing units and we have people in area hotels,” Boyd said. “We have a clinical therapists, case workers and trained advocates.”
CAPSA works with underserved populations and have a breadth of service to offer people in need.
“In the past few years we have seen an increase in abuse victims and we are predicting the need will continue to grow,” he said. “As the population grows so will the need for our services.”
There is board of directors of community leaders that help guide CAPSA and ensure accountability. CAPSA is always in need of donations to continue their work. To donate go to https://www.capsa.org/donate/ or mail donations can be mailed to:
CAPSA
Attn: Donations
P.O. Box 3617
Logan, UT 84323-3617