BELLEVILLE – Community members will participate in a “Take Back the Night” walk to raise awareness about sexual violence.
At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) in Belleville, students, elected officials and community members will come together for a walk through campus followed by testimonials and presentations.
“Showing that there’s a community that’s coming together for the event that all want to support not only sexual assault survivors but the community in general, for all facets — that’s the important part,” said Ella Huppert, who works with Metro East Every Survivor Counts.
The walk was organized in part by Metro East Every Survivor Counts, a local organization that serves as a sexual assault crisis center. They provide medical advocacy, counseling and more to survivors.
Metro East ESC has collaborated with HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, the St. Clair County Mental Health Board, and SWIC’s Title IX Department and Nursing Department to organize the April 17 event.
“Take Back the Night” is an international movement that encourages people to walk to raise awareness about sexual violence. Huppert and Jennifer Dell, another representative with Metro East ESC, noted that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, making this year’s walk even more signficant for participants.
“There’s always those constant fears that we have in the back of our mind as women when we walk out at night on whether or not we should have our keys between our fingers. Should we have pepper spray on us? What way can we help defend anything that comes?” Huppert said.
Huppert emphasized that anyone can experience sexual violence regardless of gender, but women are more commonly the targets of these crimes. She said that Metro East ESC receives 30–40 calls a month for people who have presented at local hospitals with sexual assaults, though the actual number of assaults in Madison and St. Clair Counties is likely much higher, as many of these crimes go unreported.
As an organization, Metro East ESC will join these survivors in the emergency room and act as their advocates, if the survivor wants that. They can also connect survivors to counseling, legal advocacy, and more programs to support them in the aftermath of sexual violence.
Huppert and Dell noted that “the door is always open” for survivors to come back to Metro East ESC and receive services. They want to empower survivors and support them through this experience.
“Our philosophy is, whatever we do is very much survivor-led,” Dell explained. “Our survivors pretty much get to dictate their own [path], because that’s how you’re going to get your empowerment back, realizing that you have choice in everything that you do. And we just want to be able to support your choice, and that’s part of the reason why we’re here.”
There will be resource tables available at the event, and State Representative Katie Stuart is scheduled to speak alongside a representative from the St. Clair County Mental Health Board and a survivor.
Dell and Huppert hope the “Take Back the Night” walk allows them to spread the word about their organization and show the community that there are many nonprofits and organizations who will support survivors.
“We’re trying to get that visibility for not only our agency, because it is important for survivors to know that we’re here, but it’s also making sure that survivors feel like they have a safe space here,” Huppert added. “That’s part of what ‘Take Back the Night’ is about, feeling safe being out at night.”
You can learn more about the “Take Back the Night Walk” by contacting [email protected], or register here.
Surviving a sexual assault feels lonely, but you are not alone. Read this article on RiverBender.com for information about additional local resources. Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for more services, or call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
