In July of 2018, Capshaw-Mack founded Survivor’s Best Friend, a nonprofit devoted to connecting sexual assault survivors with emotional support animals. Survivor’s Best Friend became an official nonprofit in September.
SBF will host a benefit night at Vecino Brewing Co. on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 8 to 10 p.m. to raise awareness surrounding the issues of sexual violence and promote the positive impact ESAs can have on a survivor’s healing process.
Capshaw-Mack said she struggled with paralyzing feelings of suicide and took a total of 18 months off from school at different points throughout her time at UNC.
“I felt so overwhelmed with an array of emotions flooding me all at once,” Capshaw-Mack said. “Those emotions would be hopelessness, fear – fear’s a big one – pain, brokenness and just the worst type of sadness you can imagine.”
Biscuit senses Capshaw-Mack’s fear and provides her protection and companionship, Capshaw-Mack said. The responsibility of taking care of Biscuit forced Capshaw-Mack to take care of herself in return, she said.
Biscuit also helped Capshaw-Mack connect with other survivors and make friends.
“After sexual violence, it can feel like a social death takes place,” Capshaw-Mack said. “Friends are supportive in the ways they know how, but no one really knows how unless they’ve been trained, unless they’ve been through it.”
Survivors can apply for services on SBF’s website. SBF not only pays for adoption services, but also funds vaccinations, veterinary exams, spaying/neutering processes and ESA registration.
Unlike service dogs, ESAs do not require specialized training, but need an official letter from a medical professional to be registered, Capshaw-Mack said.
Emma Hayes, founder and president of the UNC Chapter of SBF, said she noticed Capshaw-Mack’s post about SBF in the online group Babes Who Blade, a Facebook page popular with UNC students.
Hayes, a fellow sexual assault survivor, reached out to help Capshaw-Mack and established the UNC Chapter of SBF at the start of the 2018-2019 academic year. The chapter became an official Registered Student Organization in October 2018.
The UNC chapter fundraises for the national chapter of SBF and focuses on raising awareness of sexual assault and violence on campus. Hayes said the chapter is in the works of planning their next spring semester fundraisers: a bake sale and puppy kissing booth.
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“College students are unfortunately at a higher risk for sexual assault,” Hayes said. “Raising awareness as a whole about our organization is really important but especially on college campuses, because there are potentially more people who could benefit from our services.”
When Chris Reeder, an senior majoring in environmental science, heard about Capshaw-Mack’s establishment of SBF, he said knew how he wanted to spend his 24th birthday. Reeder reached out to Capshaw-Mack over SBF’s Instagram to set up a benefit night at Vecino.
Reeder said he sees a birthday party as more than a chance to bask in the limelight for a few hours, but instead as an opportunity to promote a cause centered around awareness, holism and sustainability. Last year, Reeder organized a benefit night for Carolina For the Kids at Goodfellows for his 23rd birthday.
“I hope it raises awareness for these kinds of organizations, specifically Survivor’s Best Friend in this case, and if anything, it reminds people of the personal realities of sexual assault and harassment,” Reeder said. “If anything, hopefully, it leads to some kind of culture change.”
Ten percent of all proceeds from the benefit night will go to SBF. The benefit night will include food specials, Emotional Support Dogs, games, speakers from SBF and music from solo artist Jon Beyle, a Chapel Hill eighth-generation native and member of Sugar On Fire. Families and customers under 21 are also welcome.
Vecino — “neighbor” in Spanish — gives back to the community through their monthly program “Brewing Neighbor,” in which 10 percent of a chosen house beer’s sales will go to a local charity for an entire month. At the benefit night, Vecino will offer flight tastings, five 5 ounce pours of house beers, and customers will vote on which beer’s proceeds will go toward SBF for the month of February.
“We have a really strong base of regulars,” Monica Molina, general manager of Vecino, said. “We want to support that and continue to promote the idea of giving back to the community we live in.”
Capshaw-Mack said she hopes the benefit night helps break the stigma around conversations on sexual assault and mental health.
“(Survivor’s Best Friend) shifts the focus away from the trauma,” Capshaw-Mack said. “And toward a future filled with hope.”
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