Centerboard to help sex trafficking victims through grant

Centerboard announced they received an $8,900 Human Trafficking Trust Fund grant from the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA) for their We Rise program to assist sex trafficking survivors with obtaining and maintaining permanent housing.

“We are so grateful for this grant,” said Mark DeJoie, Chief Executive Officer of Centerboard. “This will allow us to continue addressing housing service gaps for trafficking survivors in Essex county.”

Through We Rise’s HOPE+ initiative and this grant, We Rise will support between 24 to 44 female survivors of sex trafficking with the goal of safe permanent housing. They will provide transportation for up to 20 survivors to job interviews and other services, rental assistance for about five survivors, educational support to five survivors, and gift cards for basic needs like food for ten survivors. Through these services, Centerboard is hoping to develop a foundation for these victims toward safety, stability, and long-term success.

We Rise will bring their Hope+ initiative to the communities of Lynn, Peabody, Salem, Saugus, Haverhill, Lawrence, and Gloucester through referrals.

According to the MA Interagency Human Trafficking Policy Task Force, there are very few housing services for victims in the Commonwealth.

“If you don’t have stable housing, you won't be able to attend school, make it to mental health services, obtain employment,” said Clinical & Community Director of Youth Services Jennifer Dowd, LICSW. “If you don't have a place to be safe to live and just be, the rest can't follow. That’s why we are focusing on housing so we can hopefully help with this basic human need.”

We Rise brings together survivors of commercial sexual exploitation with key community allies in order to prevent, intervene against, and promote recovery from the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Their comprehensive, survivor-informed program empowers girls and young women through community outreach, emergency intervention, and transitional and ongoing supports.

Centerboard is a community-based, non-profit charitable organization that supports families and young people through housing, access to employment, education, and financial empowerment. They work with residents, businesses, and elected officials to increase economic opportunity in the community. In addition, Centerboard is invested in Lynn’s creative economy by spearheading public art projects and running the non-profit gallery Visionspace. Through these efforts, they serve over 2,200 people each year. Centerboard believes that communities thrive when you invest in their people and places.