LEWISTON – To honor its 20th year of service to sexual assault survivors and the community, the Sexual Assault Crisis Center is hosting an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 264 Pine St.

In its first year of service in 1984, the Sexual Assault Crisis Center responded to 135 hot line calls from 53 people who had been affected by sexual assault, sexual abuse or sexual harassment. Last year the center responded to 1,787 calls from 300 people. It also provided awareness and prevention education to 2,052 students in Androscoggin County.

The open house will begin with the announcement of the state’s first Children’s Advocacy Center and a signing of the interagency agreement for the advocacy center by the partner agencies. The agreement formally creates a multidisciplinary team, which will meet to discuss and make decisions about investigation, treatment and prosecution of child abuse cases. It also creates a facility where children who have been abused can be interviewed in a child-friendly environment.

Partner agencies for the Children’s Advocacy Center include local law enforcement agencies, the district attorney’s office, both area hospitals, Tri-County Mental Health Services, Community Concepts, Advocates for Children, the Spurwink Child Abuse Program, and the Sexual Assault Crisis Center. The Children’s Advocacy Center will be at the Sexual Assault Crisis Center offices.

Refreshments will be served. More information may be obtained by calling the crisis center office at 784-5272.