HUDSON VALLEY – As part one of three part series, the Democrat spoke to Executive Director of Fearless! Hudson Valley, Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier about sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking and crime vicimization awareness. This is part one in the series. 

April was Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. In Sullivan County, the go-to organization for bringing awareness, advocacy, prevention, education and shelter to victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, human trafficking and crime victimization is Fearless! Hudson Valley.

Starting as Safe Homes of Orange County in 1986, the non-profit organization repositioned into Fearless! Hudson Valley in 2019. Kostyal-Larrier is now in her 15th year at Fearless! and said they began providing domestic violence services to Sullivan County in 2017. 

“The domestic violence services that were once there went under,” Kostyal-Larrier said. “They no longer existed, so we came in initially to immediately support the hotline so that victims and survivors could still find resources and help.”

She said that they worked with the county to provide non-residential and residential services to domestic violence victims in Sullivan County. Then in 2019, she said that they regionalized the work that they were already doing in Orange and Sullivan Counties and began working with human trafficking victims. 

“We also coordinate what’s called Safe Harbor Task Force,” Kostyal-Larrier noted. “That is the task force of multidisciplinary agencies from both counties that are working to address at-risk, vulnerable, sexually exploited and trafficked youth.”

Kostyal-Larrier also said that in 2021 they partnered with what is now Garnet Health-Catskills in Harris to become the sexual assault provider in Sullivan County. Just this past April 1, Fearless! opened their new office space inside the hospital, right outside the ambulatory building at Garnet Health. 

“We have office space there to support victims,” she said. “Our advocates and community educators work out of that site. It’s a really wonderful opportunity to get to know the hospital staff in different ways as well.”

Victims are given the opportunity to engage in conversations with advocates in a private space. Kostyal-Larrier said that when advocates aren’t in the field, victims can also engage with the hospital staff. 

“We’re really looking forward to continuing to ensure victims and survivors know where we are,” she said.