Greenville's Julie Valentine Center helps navigate ‘wilderness’ of abuse and assault

Conversations about survival are common at Julie Valentine Center, a nonprofit organization in Greenville that provides free, confidential services to sexual assault and child abuse survivors and their families.

Conversations about survival are common at Julie Valentine Center, a nonprofit organization in Greenville that provides free, confidential services to sexual assault and child abuse survivors and their families.

Those discussions don’t usually involve subjects like how to build a fire or forage for food in the wilderness.

The 13th annual Julie Valentine Luncheon will be the exception.

The theme is “The Nature of Healing,” and the featured speaker is “wilderness warrior” Jessie Krebs.

Krebs began heading into the woods as a child – in search of safety and solace from a grandfather who was sexually abusing her.

“One of the ways that she coped as a child was finding refuge in nature,” says Shauna Galloway-Williams, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Julie Valentine Center.

“Fast forward to her adult life, and she has made a profession out of that coping skill.”

Krebs earned a degree in psychology; joined the Air Force and taught survival skills to fellow service members who would encounter hostile environments; was invited to teach a Masterclass, an online education platform; and now owns and operates O.W.L.S. (Outdoorsy Women Learning Survival Skills), located near Denver, Colorado.

“She literally teaches people how to survive if they don't have food, water, a place to shelter, or know how to manage medical emergencies,” Galloway-Williams explains.

“It’s much like what we do at Julie Valentine Center. We help clients find the resources and skills to survive the trauma they have experienced. Sometimes our clients have more survival skills than they know.”

Krebs’ story illustrates that, Galloway-Williams says.

“Her way of surviving – literally surviving – as a child, the skills that she learned, the way that she perceives nature, and the way that she interacts with nature, is very much how she conceptualizes healing.”

In 2022, Krebs appeared in Season 9 of “Alone,” a reality show that airs on the History Channel. Galloway-Williams has met Krebs and watched her work on “Alone” and MasterClass.

“Everything she said resonated with me and aligned with how we operate at Julie Valentine Center, how we work through treatment, how we provide crisis intervention services,” says Galloway-Williams, who has led JVC for 14 years and has worked in the mental health field since 1996.

When Krebs shares her story of sexual abuse for the first time publicly at the Julie Valentine Luncheon, she will be helping other survivors to “emancipate themselves from whatever tragedy they have experienced,” says Stacey Karesh, who joined JVC five months ago as Director of Philanthropy.

“We use art therapy, music therapy, writing. This adds to our repertoire of tools and skills,” she explains. “Our clients are fearful of going into the ‘wilderness’ of treatment and survival. We want to empower them to eradicate that fear of the unknown.”

Julie Valentine Center provides free counseling to victims of child abuse, sexual assault and sex trafficking, and to their families. The center presents education programs in the community, at colleges, and at Greenville County schools. It also operates a 24-hour rape crisis hotline for adults and children.

“My ultimate goal would be that we become a household name,” Galloway-Williams says. “People know to call 911 if they have an emergency. But if you have a crisis related to child abuse or sexual assault, we want you to call the Julie Valentine Center hotline at (864) 467-3633.”

Formerly the Greenville Rape and Child Abuse Center, the organization was renamed in 2011 in honor of an infant whose body was found in Greenville County on Feb. 13, 1990. Detectives named the newborn Julie Valentine.

The annual luncheon raises funds so that the Julie Valentine Center can continue and expand services and advocacy for victims. The goal is to raise $300,000. The program will be presented virtually – and also in-person for the first time since 2020.

“There's a lot of energy building about being able to see people face to face and be in the room together again,” Galloway-Williams says. “Almost half of our staff has not been to an in-person luncheon.”

As many as 1,000 partners, professionals, donors, staff and friends will gather at the Greenville Convention Center for the luncheon at noon. Tickets, tables and sponsorships are still available through the Julie Valentine website.

Virtual tickets are available to those who are more comfortable watching from home or with a small group of friends.

Participants can also bid on auction items, including a wilderness journey with Krebs and a luxury shopping experience.

“We're hoping that having Jessie and this wilderness package to raffle will bring in a different group of people who might never have visited our luncheon or our website,” Galloway-Williams says. “Greenville is a very outdoor-oriented community. Everybody's hiking and biking.”

Regardless of the reason that a person walks through the doors of the Julie Valentine Center or attends the luncheon, they will hear about journeys of hope and courage.

“We've got victims who have never told anyone that they have been assaulted, and they call us in their adult lives and tell a total stranger for the first time that this happened. And that's bravery,” Galloway-Williams says.

That courage comes from unexpected places. During its 2023 Spirit Week, Mauldin High School raised $124,228.08 for Julie Valentine Center.

Not long after the staff learned about the fundraising campaign, they received an email from a Mauldin High School student who had been abused and was grateful for the help and support she found at JVC.

The girl shared her story for the first time at a Spirit Week auction for parents.

“She stood up and shared her story. It was full circle. She was able to give back, and we were able to see that validation that we helped somebody,” Galloway-Williams says. “I don’t expect every survivor to do that. But survivors see that they're not alone. They’re holding each other up. And they’re seeing each other's strength.”

The Julie Valentine Center Luncheon will be held at noon Feb. 14 at the Greenville Convention Center. For information about virtual and in-person tickets, tables and sponsorships, go to julievalentinecenter.org. To reach the 24-hour crisis hotline, call (​864) 467-3633.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville Valentine Center helps navigate ‘wilderness’ of abuse