I’ve never asked anyone to reblog anything before, and I probably won’t again. But I am now - because this matters.

The Steubenville rape survivor, when offered money for her legal expenses or counselling, asked that people donated to a shelter for abused women and children in her county,  Madden House, instead. Madden House also provides support and help for victims of rape and sexual assault.

Her attorney spoke in a local news article on why the family wanted this, and said they hope very much that "the attention … can help other people that have been victimized by this type of crime," Fitzsimmons said, "and give them some strength and some assurance that people are there to help them when that happens."

You can donate as little as $2 via your Paypal account to Madden House. They have a new guestbook to leave her a message, as the old crashed, and it is here. (Please try to be sensitive in wording, avoiding triggers, so they can pass your message on.)

Madden House and the Family Violence Project helps anyone, men included, but they have a strong focus on families, and on low-income women, especially those from the African-American population.

The best way to show you support Jane Doe is to make a donation, however small and leave a Paypal note when you do saying “In the name of Jane Doe, Steubenville.” They are telling her how many people donate in her name so it’s a direct way of letting her know. Even if all you can afford is a dollar, a thousand Tumblr users donating that is a thousand dollars for abuse victims. And it’s also a thousand people telling her directly that they, unlike the likes of CNN and her erstwhile “friends”, care about her, support her, and believe in her. It’s what she has actually asked people to do. In a case where she has been so effectively silenced and sidelined, I think acknowledging she’s been heard is particularly important.

There is a second charity, the Wheeling Sexual Assault Centre, which doesn’t have a Paypal-enabled donation option, so you’d need to be US based and able to send checks. However my understanding is that they’re operating on very limited funds due to budget cuts, so it’s definitely another really good cause.

I think it says so much about this girl and her parents, that when met with offers of serious money they immediately asked that it went to a charity that helps other victims of violence instead. They are extraordinary people in my opinion, and that’s why she had the strength to come forward. Jane Doe may well not have been speaking up only for herself. She has very possibly saved others with her courage. She deserves so much more respect than the mainstream media have given her.

If you can’t donate, I really do understand. I’ve been broke before too. But please, do reblog. Get the message out. There is a genuine, positive way to support the victim, in the way she has asked for, and this is it.

EDITED: A local news story explains how many other women can be helped because of Jane Doe’s request. Thanks so much to everyone who is blogging/donating, has blogged/donated, and will do in future. It’s just so good to have a quiet way to let her know how people feel - and her attorney’s words show that it’s working. He said in an email to me that the support means a ton to her and her family. Thanks so much for helping to show her that most of the world is made up of good people, who realise she deserves nothing but respect.