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Executive Director's Address
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Dear friends,
At FAIR Girls, we support survivors holistically to address both the root causes and the repercussions of trafficking. That's why more than two years ago we proudly partnered with The Superior Court for the District of Columbia, government agencies, and service providers to help create a pilot program for a specialized court to better identify, not criminalize, at risk and commercially sexually exploited youth. That vision and hard work lead to the launch of HOPE Court one year ago this month. Beyond enduring unspeakable physical, emotional, and psychological trauma, trafficking survivors, even survivors who are only kids themselves, are all too often arrested and charged with crimes arising out of their exploitation. At different times these arrests and charges have been rationalized as "keeping these youth safe from themselves," or "preventing recidivism," or compounded as victim-blame by labeling the youth "runaways," but the consequences are the same: these vulnerable and exploited youth are criminalized in ways that can forever stain their records, limit their future opportunities, and rob them of hope.
HOPE Court is an innovative program designed to change that. It brings social services directly into the court process to offer youth therapy, life skills, mentorship, and advocacy instead of detention. The program takes a trauma- and youth-centered approach to provide kids with the tools they need to lead free and productive lives. FAIR Girls is one of only two anti-trafficking community service providers that serves the youth in HOPE Court. We provide specialized trauma-informed advocacy, mentorship, and case management to ensure that their voices and needs are amplified as they interact with the juvenile justice system and the social services intended to support them.
Sadly, FAIR Girls’ participation in HOPE Court is unfunded. That has to change if we are to make HOPE Court and its transformative support available to more vulnerable and exploited youth, and ensure that FAIR Girls is there to provide the sustained specialized care we know is desperately needed to achieve lasting change for these youth. Can you help? To show you the tremendous impact of this program, I have included below just one of the many success stories of the HOPE Court youth we have had the honor to work with.
Feeling inspired? Please consider making a donation today to support this incredible program!
Thanks for your continued support,
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Erin B. Andrews
Executive Director
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SIPS + SWEETS + STYLE
Benefitting Survivors of Human Trafficking
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Through our ongoing partnership with Kendra Scott, two of FAIR Girls' clients had the opportunity to design their own collections of jewelry at the Kendra Scott Store in D.C.'s Georgetown this past week. These survivors, inspired by the experience of creation and artistry, named their pieces respectively "The Second Chance Collection" and "The Dreamt Collection." The jewerly pieces in these two survivor-created collections will be on display and available for purchase, as well as the remainder of the Kendra Scott collections, at the event on Februrary 28th. Don't miss this fun opportunity to sip, style and support! Plan to join us, invite your friends and RSVP soon!
Not able to attend in person on February 28th? You can still support the event by placing an order over the phone and mentioning FAIR Girls between now and the 28th!
"It’s a rewarding piece of jewelry because you know it’s going to a good cause. You’re wearing something that makes you feel pretty and empowered, but it’s also providing money to help uplift other girls so they can feel the same way you do when you wear the jewelry.” - Survivor-designer
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"Isabelle" is a 13-year-old survivor living in Washington, D.C. She was exploited by a classmate who recruited her into a gang by taking advantage of her cognitive impairments and challenges fitting in. For one year, the gang drugged and trafficked Isabelle. When she tried to leave, she was gang-raped and her family was threatened. Isabelle started skipping school to avoid her traffickers and fell further behind. But then she was connected to a FAIR Girls case manager through HOPE Court. FAIR Girls secured safe transportation to and from school and worked with Isabelle and school officials to develop a safe plan for her escape. After just a month, Isabelle became more confident, engaged and hopeful. She learned to advocate for herself in court, in school and with her family. Now, she is now doing well in school, reports feeling safe and happy, and looks forward to reading, playing soccer and drawing again.
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