I am the co-executive director and founder of She Shall Go Free, a fellow LA-based anti-trafficking organization founded by two USC students. She Shall Go Free is a growing non-profit organization dedicated to fighting against sexual slavery, human trafficking, and other forms of exploitation or violence against women and girls. We focus our efforts on awareness raising campaigns, fair trade and ethical consumerism, fundraising for anti-trafficking programs, and unique initiatives designed to make a visible impact in the fight against injustice.
Right now, we are in the running for a $25,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project.
Grant winners are selected based on votes from the public--the top ten project ideas in the $25k category will receive the grant! We were hoping you could help get the word out about our project and encourage your supporters to vote for our idea. Here is the breakdown for how SSGF plans to use the grant:
$9,500 will be used to print 1,000 t-shirts for their ongoing awareness and fundraising campaign. SSGF t-shirts are produced by women who have escaped from the sex trade. They are FAIRTRADE certified, made from 100% organic cotton, and printed with eco-friendly water based dyes. The t-shirt campaign is designed to raise awareness about the realities of human trafficking. The profits from the sale of these shirts will be used to fund other SSGF initiatives. So, not only is the initial production of the shirts benefiting survivors of sex trafficking, but the sale of these shirts will also go to benefit survivors and help fight human trafficking.
$6,000 will be used to create a scholarship fund to help survivors cover the cost of job training or basic education courses. These scholarships are intended to help empower survivors and help women stay out of poverty. It will provide women the opportunity to tap into their potential and improve their socio-economic opportunities as they rebuild their lives.
$6,000 will be used to establish a second fund to provide emergency financial assistance for women in need. These funds may be used to help cover basic needs during acute crises, cover expenses related to urgent medical needs such as medication, or other urgent needs that may arise. These funds will be distributed on a case by case basis.
$3,000 will go towards purchasing urgently needed items for local shelters and organizations that serve survivors of trafficking and gender-based violence. We are specifically interested in assisting with direct client services by providing items such as clean clothing, toiletries, bed linens, basic medical supplies, etc. We hope to fill in some of the gaps in donations and resources created by the ongoing economic recession.
An additional $500 will go towards maintenance costs for the organization.
You can vote every day for the whole month of September--and every vote counts. We would greatly appreciate any support you could offer.
You may ALSO vote by Texting 102193 to Pepsi (73774)!
Remember, you can vote every day! Please spread the word by sending this information on to your mailing lists and contacts. Spreading the word and encouraging others to vote every day will help us make this dream a reality for our organization! For more information on SSGF, please check out our blog.
With love and freedom,
Lauren Dawson
