News Release: The Salvation Army Receives Grant from Grand Island Community Foundation
The Salvation Army was recently awarded a $5,000 grant from the Grand Island Community Foundation’s STOP (Stop Trafficking on the Plains) Fund to support The Salvation Army’s Fight to End Trafficking (SAFE-T) program in the Grand Island area.
The SAFE-T program was established in 2015 to help survivors of all forms of trafficking build their lives in a way that is empowering and meaningful to them. SAFE-T has three regional offices located in Grand Island, North Platte and Omaha. Collaborating closely with service providers, law enforcement agencies and community partners, each regional SAFE-T specialist strives to improve identification and referral protocols so that survivors of trafficking have access to a variety of high quality, person-centered services that support their safety and well-being. When a survivor of trafficking is referred to SAFE-T, the specialist is dedicated to connecting the survivor to essential community services to help them reach their individual goals in a safe and meaningful manner.
The grant from the Grand Island Community Foundation’s STOP Fund will be used in its entirety to support survivors of trafficking enrolled in the SAFE-T program through the Grand Island regional office. This critical funding will help SAFE-T continue to provide direct assistance to survivors that supports their individual physical, mental, emotional and financial health.
“The Grand Island Community Foundation has been and continues to be a valuable advocate in supporting the needs of survivors of human trafficking,” said SAFE-T Program Director Jane Thorson. “SAFE-T is grateful for their continued generosity and are honored to be able to partner with them to inspire survivors with new hope and motivation as they work to meet their individual goals toward safety and wellbeing."
The primary purpose of the Grand Island Community Foundation’s STOP Fund is to provide charitable support for efforts to address the consequences of human trafficking, focusing on providing financial resources to charitable organizations that directly assist in caring for survivors of human (both sex and labor) trafficking. This includes services related to medical, counseling, basic needs – such as food, clothing and shelter – transportation to a safe shelter and restoration services to transition back to independent living.
For more information about the grant or the SAFE-T program, please contact Jane Thorson at (402) 898-4768 or at Jane.Thorson@usc.salvationarmy.org.