Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape has to get people talking about things they'd rather ignore.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

One of TV’s hottest shows right now is “Law & Order: SVU,” which dramatizes the society-wide problem of sexual and domestic violence. The sorrowful stories make for great TV, but what about when it comes to raising money for organizations that support its victims and work to eradicate it?

Begun in 1975, the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape does just that. Its work focuses on public awareness, prevention, policy and education at the state level, and it administers government contracts to a statewide network of local sexual-violence centers to provide free and confidential crisis intervention; individual and group counseling; hospital, court and police accompaniment; prevention education; and referral services.