United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley Women United Awards $25,000 to Help Combat Human Trafficking

Allentown, PA, January 25, 2018 – United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (UWGLV) Women United has awarded $25,000 to VAST and KidsPeace for programming that will raise awareness about human trafficking in the Lehigh Valley and support teenage survivors.
 
“Human trafficking has a deep and lasting impact on survivors. The emotional scars can last a lifetime,” said Women United President Marilee Falco. “Women United must add its voice to the growing, local movement to end human trafficking in the Lehigh Valley. With these funds, survivors of human trafficking can have hope for a safe, productive and healthy life.”
 
By selecting this cause as one of its 2018 signature projects, Women United will provide $10,000 to support the KidsPeace Enhanced Clinical Trauma and Life Skills program, which was developed specifically for female adolescent survivors of trafficking and trauma. The goal of the program is to provide clinical care and life skills education to 80 adolescent females with histories of trauma within one year. The average age of admission into the program is 13-14 years old.
 
“The victims of human trafficking suffer sexual, emotional and physical abuse,” reports Dominick DiSalvo, KidsPeace Senior Director of Clinical Services for PA Residential. “They need holistic mental health treatment that recognizes them as victims, imparts new self-value and skills, and provides an opportunity to use those skills in meaningful ways. The KidsPeace Enhanced Clinical Trauma and Life Skills program fosters resilience and empowers girls to move beyond a life of trauma and trafficking.”
 
Women United will also award $15,000 to VAST (The Valley Against Sex Trafficking) to create a community-wide awareness campaign that will increase understanding about human trafficking that occurs in the Lehigh Valley.
 
“Based on national studies, we can deduce that anywhere from 100 to 300 men and women in the Lehigh Valley are exploited by human trafficking each year. We cannot be a Valley that turns a blind eye to this issue. Being aware is the first step towards being empowered to do something. With increased understanding, we can identify and restore survivors of human trafficking and build bridges of hope,” added Christiana Dominguez, MSW, Executive Director of VAST.