More than $2 million will be allocated across nine organizations in Mississippi that are dedicated to helping human trafficking victims become survivors.
First announced by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, the funding is made available through the Victims of Human Trafficking and Commercial Exploitation Fund. This is the second round of grants from the fund since state lawmakers announced its inception during the 2020 legislative session.
“Few crimes rob a person of their humanity, power, and dignity like human trafficking, but we do not have to let it steal their future. Helping human trafficking victims become survivors takes us all coming together, and Mississippi is blessed with these nine organizations committed to talking alongside these victims on their journey to find healing and restoration,” Fitch said.
“I am grateful for the state legislature’s willingness to ensure these organizations have the resources they need to support these brave individuals working to rebuild their lives. And I am grateful to the members of the fund committee for the time and thoughtful consideration they offer the State to ensure these funds are spent to fulfill the legislature’s intent.”
Funds will be distributed among the following entities:
- Center for Violence Prevention ($813,575) — To continue funding the Rapid Response Team responders who assist in victim recovery, screening, and service provision; legal services provided by specialized attorneys who help victims with their complex legal needs; and the new construction project for the Tower shelter facility.
- Southern Christian Services ($492,278) — To continue operation of a children’s human trafficking shelter, a project in cooperation with Sunnybrook Children’s Home.
- Hope Village ($321,722) — To help establish a shelter for minor victims of human trafficking. The funds will be used to renovate an existing building to specifically meet the needs of minor victims. The award will also fully fund the salary of a program director for the new human trafficking program and the partial salary of a full-time therapist.
- Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence ($146,446) — To continue funding partial salaries for employees who serve human trafficking victims. Funds will also be used for case management and supplies to serve human trafficking victims at their existing shelters in Biloxi and Pascagoula.
- El Pueblo ($93,472) — to expand existing legal services to specifically serve victims of both sex and labor trafficking in central and south Mississippi.
- Domestic Abuse Family Center ($93,433) — For advocacy and shelter services for human trafficking survivors at their shelters in Laurel and Hattiesburg. In addition, the funds will be used to pay for an external evaluation of their ongoing human trafficking program.
- Mississippians Against Human Trafficking ($79,500) — To fund direct victim assistance as well as web development and implementation for the assistance program.
- Sunnybrook Children’s Home ($27,800) — To continue providing a facility and grounds maintenance for the shelter facility operated by Southern Christian Services.
- Natchez Children’s Advocacy Center ($12,594) — For staff training.
More information on the application and solicitation, fund rules, and other information related to this distribution and the Fund in general can be found here.
