TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Director of St. Peter’s Crime Victim Services, Lindsey Crusan-Muse, says the only thing Troy could use is a little bit of color. She’s working to paint the city teal—making sure survivors are not just heard, but seen.

“April is a special time that communities work to raise awareness,” Crusan-Muse told NEWS10 Wednesday. “[They also] show community support for those who have experienced sexual assault and elevate the voices of survivors.”

Her new campaign, dubbed “Paint the Town Teal,” officially launches Saturday—but one survivor said she can already feel the love. “I am not a victim anymore,” began the survivor, who went by Nichole. “I am a survivor. I did not get to that point by myself. It is through advocacy programs, like paint the town teal, that stands as a symbol of the solidarity to me as a survivor.”

It all lines up with sexual assault awareness month. Mayor Patrick Madden said it’s a good first step but shouldn’t be the last. “It’s on all of us to speak up and condemn not just the act, but the notion that sexual assault is anything but abhorrent,” he said.

Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly agreed. “This is not a taboo topic,” she stated. “It is something that people understand. It’s something that people don’t condone, and it is not okay.”

St. Peter’s is hoping that, through the campaign, one thing is clear. “We all stand here to say to survivors: we see you, and we support you,” concluded Crusan-Muse.