Inclusive Survivor Support in Sampson County

Pride Month is a meaningful time to talk about safety, dignity, and support for every survivor. CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) has found that lesbians and gay men report intimate partner and sexual violence at rates equal to or higher than heterosexual adults, and that bisexual women face especially high rates across several forms of violence. 

 

These aren’t just national statistics. That matters here in Sampson County, too. No matter someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity, abuse can happen, and support should never depend on whether a survivor thinks they will be believed or understood. 

 

U Care has been serving Sampson County since 1995 as the county’s only state-recognized domestic violence and sexual assault program, offering confidential support close to home for people in Clinton, Roseboro, Garland, Newton Grove, and nearby communities.

 

For LGBTQ+ survivors and other marginalized survivors, reaching out can come with added barriers. Some people worry about stigma. Others fear being judged, misunderstood, or forced to explain parts of their identity before they can even talk about safety. The Trevor Project emphasizes the importance of offering survivors a safe and empathetic space, and national victim advocacy organizations note that in small or rural communities, privacy can be especially hard to protect. In a rural county, that can make asking for help feel even more personal and more complicated. That is why inclusive survivor support matters so much: people need to know they can reach out without shame, without assumptions, and without having to prove they deserve care.

 

At U Care, support is built around safety, confidentiality, and respect. Services are confidential and cost-free for all survivors, including a 24/7 crisis line, emergency shelter in Clinton, safety planning, court and legal advocacy, and peer or individual support. U Care also offers Spanish translation and community education, which helps make support more accessible across Sampson County. Most importantly, the goal is not to fit survivors into one path. It is to meet each person where they are and help them move forward with dignity, practical options, and support that feels safe.

 

Creating a safer community takes all of us. During Pride Month and beyond, allyship can look like listening without judgment, respecting confidentiality, learning more about survivor support, and speaking up for environments where every person is treated with care. For anyone who needs help, U Care can be reached at 910-596-0931 or the 24/7 toll-free line at 888-229-3320.  

 

And for those who want to strengthen these services locally, supporting U Care through our website helps keep survivor services available in Sampson County. Every survivor deserves safety. Every survivor deserves respect. And every survivor deserves to know they are not alone.