Standing in the Gap: When Survivors Need it Most

In preparation for the month of January, National Human Trafficking Awareness Month we created a t-shirt in collaboration with our local law enforcement departments. The shirt features our organization’s logo and the shields of the law enforcement offices that continue to support us in our efforts to serve survivors of human trafficking. The shirts created a lot of talk in the community, many people reached out to us asking if there are more available. Collaborations such as this are one of the many ways we intend to keep the conversation in the community going. It is my hope that the areas we serve will gain a clear picture of what trafficking looks like in this community and know where the resources are and how to refer survivors to those resources.

One of my goals for this year is to meet survivors where they are and look at the whole picture of their needs when providing services. Many of the survivors have unique needs, each survivor’s circumstances can vary greatly. Often, we lean on the support of the community to meet those unique needs. Funding that we currently receive can provide many things that the survivors need on an emergency basis. However, there are instances where a need is not considered an emergency and we must lean on other resources. Non-emergency needs could be things such as internet service, transportation to job interviews, or a prepaid phone card to remain in contact with the support system they have in another area. One of the key things in helping survivors of human trafficking is to assist them in meeting many of their basic needs to reduce their chances of returning to the exploitative circumstances they are receiving support to stay away from.

Thank you for your continued support!

Ah, yes. Holiday time. How wonderful it is to be here again! However, even with the beautiful season upon us, we are reminded of the darkness depths of humanity. We are looking to you, our wonderful supporters, for some help this holiday season.

We are currently serving several survivors of human trafficking. These survivors have been through hell and back, and we are looking to provide as many services as we possibly can. Thankfully, we do have some grant funds that help with certain emergency needs, however, there are certain things that grants just can’t cover. We are lacking in funding for transportation to and from appointments, money for long-term food to help these survivors start over, safe cell phones to keep them free from tracking and harm of their abusers, and additional toiletries and feminine products.

This is where we ask you wonderful folks to step in. Every dollar helps in situations like these, and we can’t do the work we do without support from people like you! Please be sure to share this information with everyone you know in hopes that we can come together to support the survivors in our community!