In June 2006, our six-year-old granddaughter, Sarah, told her mother that her daddy was sexually abusing her. Our daughter immediately called the authorities and he was arrested. Thus the physical nightmare ended for our granddaughter, and another nightmare began for our daughter and granddaughters. One can never truly imagine or understand the effects of a crime until it happens in your family. Due to financial pressures, our daughter, with four children under seven years of age, was forced to sell her home, car, and many personal belongings. They relocated to a new community to begin their lives anew. Thanks to the generosity of family, friends and business associates whose gifts provided support, our daughter has survived financially. Many victims and their families have not been as blessed to have such support surround them. Due to the courage and strength of our granddaughters' reporting her father's sexual abuse, he was sent to prison for a 12 year minimum sentence. Our daughter's plight awakened us to a severe shortfall of support for families with sexually abused children. Victim's families may not follow through with reporting the abuse if the abuser is an income contributor to the family and there is a fear of survival due to loss of income. Families reporting child sexual abuse may suffer not only the loss of income but may also lose health benefits, transportation and other financial benefits supported by the child abuser. sacred's goal is to deliver financial support to the family within 24 hours of an approved application.
