Weekly Update

It's been a busy past two weeks here at the office;  even with snow days our staff is busy working to #endslavery! Seems like it’s time for an update:

• Yvette and Jennifer have been busy meeting with all our survivors and creating new relationships with them. Yvette was helping one of our girls with her taxes and Jennifer has become the “auntie” of one of Shelia’s “babies” already!
• Angela, Yvette, Shelia, and Derri met with Marten Fadelle and some champions from Jobs for Life about working with some of our survivors to get them job training and ready for life long careers!
• Karen had a meeting with Kyla Krengel with Metro Schools to discuss having our Be The Jam program introduced in schools around the area.
• Two birthdays this week included a survivor whom Shelia and Yvette took shopping and who got cute cupcakes from one of our other survivors who loves to bake. One of our long time volunteers, Clarice Grooms, also had a birthday and our survivor made her a beautiful multi-layed and colored cake which we surprised her with at the office on Wednesday.
• Our  therapist, Allison, has also been in the office on a weekly basis to work with six of our girls through our in-house therapy sessions.
• Yvette has also been working with two of our survivors to set them up with an internship with one of our partner organizations, T-615,  making jewelry, and is also hoping to set them up with Jobs For Life sessions soon.
• Derri is working with others to find an apartment to rent for short term housing for our survivors, thanks to a very generous donor (a couple) who committed to covger rent for at least one year! We are super excited by that. 

Each week we have several survivors popping in and out and there are some really great experiences each time they do:

• One of our shyer girls finally met our two new case managers. She was reluctant at first but once she met them she was talking like crazy and is even having lunch out with one today!
• One of our younger girls has also been around the office often while looking for jobs and attending therapy which has allowed Jennifer to work with her and all of us to enjoy her fun personality.
• Our direct services staff  enjoyed a visit from one of our male survivors. We were happy to finally have him in the office to find out what resources we can get him and know that he is doing well. We are thankful for volunteer and mentor Michael Watson who was able to fill in as a translator over the phone which made the process all the smoother as well!