Showing Mercy
ACRATH Companions can now respond more effectively to the needs of victim/survivors of human trafficking because of a $20,000 grant from the Mercy Foundation. The $20,000 Mercy Practical Assistance Program will provide victim/survivors of human trafficking with money to help them in their recovery, to combat poverty and address disadvantage.
The Mercy Practical Assistance Program means that ACRATH’s 13 trained and supervised volunteer Companions can better support the 34 trafficked women and their 45 children who are part of the Companionship Program.
ACRATH’s Cindy Bohan said the grant meant that a dedicated amount of money is now available to assist the victim/survivors:
- Recover from trauma
- Find employment
- Advance their education
- Obtain accommodation
- Improve language skills
- Gain a driver’s license
- Obtain medical treatment and medications that aren’t funded by other resources
- Obtain family support – material aid, childcare, access to holiday program, extra school expenses
“This grant from Mercy Foundations is a fantastic boost to the support we can now offer through our Companions. As soon as we received the grant we were able to assist one woman with fees for the final subjects of a nursing course. Last year, during our fundraising campaign we sought money for one young woman to have vital eye surgery. These are the sorts of needs that come along and now we can respond with surety, thanks to the Mercy Foundation,” Cindy said.
“We know that our Companions are very conscious of the needs of the women they support. But really it is the women victim/survivors who will tell us what they need to move ahead in their lives. There are so many things we take for granted to live a full life and to look to the future. That’s not the case for so many of these women and their children. We hope that can change now.”
