Who is Jane Doe?
“Jane Doe” is more than a placeholder name. In some states, it is a protective pseudonym assigned to women who have survived violent crimes and face ongoing danger if identified. When a survivor makes an official report to law enforcement, she may be entered into Criminal Justice and Information Systems under the name “Jane Doe” — sometimes accompanied by a unique number that replaces her real identity. There are countless Jane Does.
She is your friend, your neighbor, your sister, your daughter, your co-worker. She may be the person in front of you in line, your server at a restaurant, the customer service representative on the other end of the phone, or your pharmacist. Jane Doe may hold degrees, raise children, lead teams, or speak on stages. She may work in education, social services, law enforcement, car sales, motivational speaking, IT, or software development. She may be thriving — or she may be surviving.
She is sometimes silent. The victim who never spoke. The woman who carries a story no one knows. To her, survival may be a daily challenge. She may be the individual many would never guess has lived another life entirely.
The Reality we Face:
Aggravated sexual assault and human trafficking leave indelible marks. These are not crimes that end when the perpetrator is caught — if they are caught at all. While some offenders face consequences, many evade justice. And even when the legal system fails, Jane Doe must go on.
For those whose perpetrators remain free, the name “Jane Doe” offers a measure of safety. It allows survivors to move forward with greater confidence, knowing their identity is protected. But protection is only the beginning. Survivors need more than anonymity — they need advocacy, resources, and community.
What we do:
Jane Doe Rising exists to meet survivors in the aftermath — and in the in-between. We provide trauma-informed intake, advocacy, and recovery support for individuals navigating violence, fear, and uncertainty. We respond when systems fall short. We walk beside survivors as they reclaim their lives. We are here to bring hope, restoration, and community to every Jane Doe.
She is a survivor, beginning a new life and achieving freedom with each breath she takes. She symbolizes strength. She is the face of resilience. Her chains are broken — and she is rising.
Advocacy Services
What is an Advocate?
Victim Advocates are specially trained to support victims of crime. They offer crisis intervention, emotional support, therapeutic services, victims’ rights information, help in finding needed resources, assistance in filling out crime victim related forms and more.
Advocates frequently accompany victims and their family members through the criminal justice proceedings. We have a responsibility to keep clients informed and provide access to records and materials at all times. Our advocates may take on many other roles and are passionate about seeing the lives of once-victims completely transformed!
Some of our advocates are also professionally trained and/or certified to provide additional services like counseling, therapy, legal aid, respite, additional assistance for disabled individuals and more. We are the "last responders" and symbolize hope for a future and new beginnings.
Emergency Cash Help
On occasion, Jane Doe Rising, Inc. receives donations which provides emergency cash assistance to individuals and/or families who may be experiencing financial or other difficulties. At this time, our organization operates on funding by private donors only, which comes with many benefits to whom we can extend help, although at times can limit the amount of funding we receive overall. When available, we assist with past due utility bills, rent/mortgages, groceries, transportation, medical, holiday/seasonal sponsorships and other needs.
Rapid Relocation
This program assists survivors and their immediate family members currently living in the home in need of emergency relocation. Trained and extensively background checked volunteers offer free or greatly reduced (partial or full sponsorships) packing and moving services following a verified emergency referral with a safety plan in place. We also offer protective services during an unexpected/urgent move.
SANE Exam Kits
This program collects and buys items to make clothing kits for victims following a SANE Exam. Many women who go through this examination process turn their clothing and/or other belongings in to be sent for DNA testing and processed through evidence. Unfortunately, there are many hospitals that are not able to keep items consistently stocked to offer replacements when a victim is discharged. No one should have to leave the hospital without proper undergarments or wearing disposable garments.
In some instances, a victim may choose to turn their clothing over directly to a law enforcement agency taking their report. When possible, we provide these kits to any law enforcement agency which makes a request for them. We only accept brand new items WITH the tags still attached. Please keep in mind that our survivors are not all equal in size. We try to provide a wide variety of sizes so that every survivor can choose something comfortable. Some of the essentials that go into the SANE Exam Kits are bras, underwear, and when available tops & bottoms.
