History of SAS
Sexual Assault Services (SAS) began in 1975 as the Sexual Assault Task Force operating under the Crow Wing County Attorney’s Office, created by community members who recognized an urgent need for survivor-centered support in the region. In 1977, the program joined the Battered Women’s Task Force and later became part of the Women’s Center of Mid-Minnesota, where it continued building its advocacy foundation for more than a decade. By 1989, SAS had grown in scope and community impact, becoming an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated solely to sexual assault advocacy and support.
As community needs changed, SAS expanded. Over the years, we grew from a volunteer-driven task force into a full nonprofit organization with trained advocates and a wide range of services: hospital accompaniment, legal advocacy, emotional support, crisis counseling, education, and prevention. Our partnerships with law enforcement, medical providers, schools, and local agencies strengthened the safety net for survivors across Crow Wing County and surrounding areas.
Today, we provide comprehensive, confidential, free support to hundreds of survivors each year—meeting them in hospitals, at court, in schools, and wherever they need us most.
Through every stage of our history, one thing has remained constant: the belief that survivors deserve to be believed, supported, and empowered. The work we do is critical—not only for individual healing, but for creating a safer, more informed, and more compassionate community. Survivors continue to shape our mission, guide our services, and inspire us to push for change.
SAS stands today because of their courage, and because a small grassroots group once believed we could build something better. And we continue this work because every survivor who walks through our doors matters.