In the News

March 29, 2023 - "Though creating art was positive for her mental health, it was not enough to work through her sexual trauma. At the recommendation of her therapist, Merz began getting help from the Blue Bench, a comprehensive sexual assault survivor support and prevention education center. The nonprofit's mission is 'to eradicate sexual assault and diminish the impact it has on individuals, their loved ones, and our community through comprehensive issue advocacy, prevention, and care.'"

March 24, 2023 - "Nobody wants to talk about sexual violence," said Megan Carvajal, the executive director of The Blue Bench, a sex assault survivor center. "We have the opportunity to change that conversation--that makes it easier for survivors to seek support, it makes it easier for them to report.

April 6, 2022 - “'Denver encourages everyone to believe victims of sexual assault, and we must continue the shift from doubt and blame to belief and support,' Hancock said. 'We should start by believing because our reaction has the potential to make a direct impact on those close to us, and we should make it a positive impact.'"

December 6, 2021 - Jacqui Aamodt with The Blue Bench joins us to discuss how the holidays can be challenging. The Blue Bench 24-hour sexual assault hotline is 303-322-7273.

Sep 12, 2021 - "At The Blue Bench, requests from sexual assault survivors for therapy and case management services have increased exponentially in 2021, compared to 2020, resulting in a 4-week wait time for some services." - Opinion piece from Executive Director of The Blue Bench, Megan Carvajal

April 22, 2021 - Beta Theta Pi created Beta’s Blue Heart Gala, an event that was originally scheduled to be held in the Arrow Touchdown Club at Farrand Field in April 2020... Even though the gala had to be postponed, the brothers were able to raise just over $7,000 from pre-ticket sales for The Blue Bench.

March 27, 2021 - "Sudev is Hotline Advocate with The Blue Bench, a Denver-based organization that specializes in assisting survivors of gender-based violence and sexual assault. When the pandemic hit and his classes at the University of Denver abruptly shifted online, Sudev searched for ways to help his community."

Jan 17, 2020 - Susie Roman is with the “Blue Bench,” a Denver-based organization... Roman says the “person of trust” charge is extremely important. “What’s happening is sexual violence. It’s not consensual sex,” Roman said.

December 22, 2018 - Across the Denver metro area, hospitals are reporting that they’ve seen an increase in 2018 in patients who have been sexually assaulted.

September 28, 2018 - "A surge in calls seeking help poured into a rape crisis service center serving Denver and surrounding counties as the Senate Judiciary Committee explored allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee U.S. District Judge Brett Kavanaugh."

Nov. 24, 2017 - "First it’s just a lot of defining what sexual assault is and what that looks like, starting with more sexual harassment type activities and then moving on to the full scope of a sexual assault," said Karmen Carter, executive director of The Blue Bench. "[It's also] talking to them about what they can do to change conversations or call each other on comments that they think are inappropriate."

September 14, 2017 - "The bench is a part of an installation for the Blue Bench Campaign which aims to put an end to sexual assault through prevention and care such as educational curriculum, self-defense classes, counseling services, a support hotline, and more. The organization was founded in 1983 as the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program."

April 19, 2017 - "The Blue Bench, a nonprofit working to end sex assault, is behind the benches, working to place them in spots where conversations can be started. Karmen Carter, executive director of The Blue Bench, sat down with 9NEWS (on a blue bench, of course) to talk about them."