A new center for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault on the Auraria campus hits close to home for Karén Bleeker, president of the Community College of Denver.

Bleeker shared last week at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Phoenix Center at Auraria that she was the victim of abuse by her father from age 3 to 17.

"I remember the sense of desperation that there was no place to go," she said.
The Phoenix Center will provide a safe place for students to go for information and support on sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and more and includes a 24-hour confidential helpline.

The center will serve students at the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver.

Bleeker was just one of the center's unofficial spokespersons who shared last week a personal connection to the center.

Kathy Robertson is another who knows all too well the need for the Phoenix Center. Her daughter Abby Robertson, a Metro student, was murdered in 2007 by an ex-boyfriend who stalked and harassed her before killing her.

"I'm standing here today because I don't want to see what happened to my loving daughter happen to someone else," she said.

She added that Abby's friends wished they had known the signs of a stalker. The Phoenix Center aims to provide just that type of education.

For more information, call 303-556-6011 or go to the center at the Tivoli Student Center Room 259 on the Auraria campus, 900 Auraria Parkway. The helpline is 303-556-2255.