Raising Our Voices

Rita talks with disability advocate Ray Hemachandra about why people with intellectual and developmental disabilities face such steep risk for sexual violence and trafficking and why the threat almost never comes from a stranger. They dig into how compliance training backfires, what real consent education looks like within the IDD community, and why seeing disabled people as full, sexual human bei...

In this episode of Raising Our Voices, host and Our Voice Executive Director Rita Nugent sits down with Josie Seay, Executive Director of Blue Ridge Pride, to explore the intersection of queer advocacy and sexual violence work. Together they discuss why LGBTQ+ individuals experience sexual violence at higher rates, how individuals can support the movement, and why collaboration between organizatio...

In this episode of Raising Our Voices , Rita sits down with Chase Moss, Community Advocate at Our Voice , for a conversation about digital safety, online exploitation, and how technology can both increase risk and support prevention. Together, they explore grooming, stalking behaviors, AI-related harms, and practical ways to stay safer online without living in fear.

In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, this episode explores the intersection of these movements and the full spectrum of abuse, including physical, emotional, and sexual harm. Featuring Claudia Burke from Mountain Child Advocacy Center, we discuss why understanding these connections is essential to prevention and how communities can better support child...

In this episode of Raising Our Voices , Rita speaks with Our Voice Counseling Director Natalie Breit about the deep impacts of trauma and how experiences of harm can live in the body as physical sensations, emotional shifts, and neurological responses. Together, they explore why these reactions happen and how survivors can begin to gently recenter and regulate when feeling elevated or activated.

In this episode, Rita speaks with Amanda Gopal, Executive Director of The Hundred Movement, for a trauma-informed conversation centered on the lived realities of human trafficking survivors. Together, they explore why survivors often respond the way they do after exploitation, examining trauma responses and survival behaviors through a compassionate, non-judgmental lens. The discussion challenges...

Human trafficking is often misunderstood. In this episode of Raising Our Voices , we break down common myths about trafficking and talk about what it actually looks like in our community. We explore the difference between sex and labor trafficking, challenge the idea that trafficking always involves kidnapping or extreme violence, and explain why many survivors are trafficked by people they know,...

Rita and Mercy dive into what prevention really looks like when we center culture change in the movement to end sexual violence and human trafficking. This episode explores the conversations our society rarely has about healthy relationships, consent and boundaries, and why prevention must start long before harm occurs. Mercy brings powerful insight from her work with young people, and together th...

In this episode of Raising Our Voices , Outreach Coordinator Caitrin Doyle from Helpmate joins Our Voice for a deep and thoughtful conversation about how sexual and intimate partner violence often intersect. Together, we unpack the shared roots of power and control, explore the overlapping realities of trauma and survivorship, and highlight how collaboration between advocacy organizations strength...

In this powerful opening episode of Raising Our Voices, Executive Director Rita Nugent lays the foundation for an honest conversation about sexual violence. From breaking down what it really means and challenging common myths, to exploring how individuals and communities can take action, this episode invites listeners to reflect, learn, and step into prevention together. Tune in to be inspired, in...