AnnaLynne McCord and other celebrities came together Sunday at the Drawing Hope Masquerade Gala to show their support for rape and sexual abuse survivors.

A topic that is often not discussed, and shied away from when a discussion arises, sexual abuse and rape affects many Americans. One out of every 6 American women has been the victim of sexual abuse or rape, while 1 in 33 of American men have been through the same experience. However, 60 percent of these acts are not reported to the police, according to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network.

An occurrence as life-changing as sexual abuse or rape can leave survivors hiding in a state of silence and shame with no desire to reach out to their family, friends or community to seek help. 

Drawing Hope International is a charitable organization that serves survivors through art, inspiring a change in the global dialogue about the subject of abuse and rape from one of brokenness to one that helps people connect with strength, beauty and freedom. Through projects such as Points With Purpose, co-founders David Ilan and Michelle Easter aspire to give survivors a chance to speak and, as Easter described, to "bring people together in the community -- survivors and supporters."

Points With Purpose is one of the many initiatives that Ilan has created to bring awareness to the subject, as well as become an outlet in which survivors can help each other heal and thrive. The project started out as an idea to create a simple portrait of a woman using a pointillism technique: drawing using dots. Each dot drawn on the portrait represents a survivor who signs up with the project, and the dots come together to form a survivor who is confident, strong and most of all, beautiful. Already the portrait exhibits 4,000 dots, and Ilan estimates that about 100,000 dots are needed to complete the portrait.

The Masquerade Gala dinner held at The Mark was described by many in attendance as an evening to celebrate the survivors and shed light on a subject that is usually unspoken of. The event began with a reception featuring face painting, cocktails, photo booth and a silent auction.

Sultradelix began to perform as attendees took their seat around tables, while celebrity chef Kai Chase and her servers began to serve dinner. The meal began with a delicious salad, followed by an entree consisting of chicken breast, couscous and grilled vegetables, and a molten lava cake.

As attendees enjoyed the meal, three women were presented with awards to recognize their efforts to inspire hope. McCord, star of the CW's "90210," was given the Heart of Hope Award for being a shining light for survivors, using her notoriety to encourage others to step out of isolation. She uses this influence in her personal cause, Somaly Mam Foundation -- a nonprofit committed to ending sex-trafficking around the world. 

AnnaLynne McCord as she gives a thought-provoking acceptance speech.

The Point of Courage award was given to Laura Slade Wiggins for her portrayal of Karen Jackson on Showtime's hit series "Shameless." Laura presents a relatable woman who is complicated, vulnerable and flawed, and this portrayal encourages others to embrace their own journey towards freedom. 

The last award, Point of Faith, was presented to Pranaadhika Sinha Devburman by Shantel VanSanten. She founded a support group in India when she was eleven-years-old, which grew to be what is called Elaan, an outreach and support NGO that she described as one who is "standing up for the voiceless in a place that doesn't give people a chance to speak out."

Mary Birdsong proceeded to give a sassy and sultry performance dedicated to Devburman. The evening concluded with a live auction and a performance by Jasmine Villegas.

Although the subject at hand is somber, the mood of the gala was far from it, and the organization achieved its goal of a night of celebration. In fact, the most inspiring and motivating words were found in the speeches given by the presenters, as well as the honorees. As McCord so beautifully articulated, "You have purpose. I have purpose. We have purpose and that's because we have hope."