Residents who visit various libraries throughout Carbon County in April will see a table full of shoes on display.

These shoes are part of the shoe project, put up by the Victims Resource Center of Northeast Pennsylvania, in the hopes of raising awareness of sexual violence in the community and promoting April as Sexual Violence Awareness Month.

Each shoe represents a person, and their story of sexual assault is attached.

The Victims Resource Center has participated in the project for several years in hopes of showing that anyone can be a victim, no matter their gender or age.

This year, Tammy Sue Neff, counselor advocate for the center, said that the display will travel around the county weekly.

Visitors wishing to see the display can go to the Lehighton Library, 124 North St., from April 1-5; Panther Valley Library, 117 E. Bertsch St., Lansford, April 8-12; Weatherly Area Library, 1518 Brenkman Drive, April 15-18; and Palmerton Library, 402 Delaware Ave., April 22-26. The display is available during library hours.

Sexual violence, which many believe is strictly acts of unwanted sexual contact, can be a number of things, from learned attitudes and beliefs that dehumanize and objectify one gender; to sexual harassment, unwanted touching, rape, or the extremes of sexual and genital mutilation and death.

The Victims Resource Center is there to help these victims and urges people who know a loved one or friend who has been assaulted to make that first call to the center’s 24-hour hotline.

The Victims Resource Center, which serves Luzerne, Carbon and Wyoming counties, offers free and confidential crisis and support counseling to victims of any crime. It can accompany them through the legal process, go with them to the hospital for the rape exam, provide information and referrals and help them file reimbursement claims if they experience out-of-pocket costs as a result of their assault.

For more information on the Victims Resource Center, visit www.vrcnepa.org.

To seek help through the 24-hour hotline, call 610-379-0151.