National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Dear Friend,

With this recent snap of exceptionally cold weather, we are working with partners to marshal resources to help those in our community experiencing housing instability and homelessness find relief.

And, as I reflect on National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January – a time when we support survivors and take action toward preventing trafficking – I am reminded how this weather often makes it necessary for those experiencing sexual violence to spend more time with their abuser in order to maintain shelter.

Over a year ago, I shared news that organizations like us serving those experiencing sexual and domestic violence, would receive at least a 70% federal funding cut. When funding was finalized, Pathfinders lost nearly $750,000 annually for our Anti-Sexual Violence resources.

We begin this new fiscal year both disappointed and encouraged. We’re energized by recent funding gains that will boost our housing and homelessness prevention work. Yet, we’re disheartened by the changes we’ve had to make to our Anti-Sexual Violence work due to funding losses. This is not how we want to begin the year or honor Trafficking Prevention Month.

But you, our supporters and partners, you give us hope.

We are grateful for your collaboration and your unrestricted financial support that helps us address the needs of Milwaukee’s most vulnerable young people. With your help, Pathfinders remains in a strong financial position to manage this significant funding decrease, but we have had to make adjustments to the capacity and scope of our Anti-Sexual Violence work.

With your partnership, we are able to continue:

• • Identifying and screening exploited youth through our street outreach work and offering basic needs services, ongoing therapy and resources.
  • Offering advocacy and support service (like safety planning, crisis intervention, advocacy during court proceedings and in health care systems after a violent event) to those who’ve experienced trafficking though our capacity is greatly reduced.
  • Supporting survivors with mental health therapy to heal and develop coping skills.
  • Provide safe, stable housing and case management to young adults who’ve experienced sexual exploitation and trafficking.

In addition to scaling back some of our work, we had to end the community’s collaborative rapid advocacy response. This program met youth under 18 when they were in crisis and in need of a medical or legal advocate on weekends and after regular office hours. Unfortunately, partners were unable to take over this effort – in large part due to the loss of funding across all organizations.

Although our capacity has decreased, we will keep advocating for more resources. We will keep fighting for legislation that helps those being exploited. We will keep amplifying survivor voices in spaces where harmful and destructive decisions are being made.

One important step was meeting with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul in November to share what this funding loss means for our services, and more importantly, for the young people we serve. And, at the State of the State address last week, Governor Evers announced he will include restoration of the full $66 million appropriation of sexual violence funding that was lost in Wisconsin in his biennial Executive Budget next month. We will keep you informed of advocacy actions you can take with the state legislature as opportunities arise.

Serving young people experiencing sexual violence has been part of our work since Pathfinders was founded 55 years ago. Although the work may look different, we remain as committed to young people today as we did in 1970.

I will continue to share important updates as they arise. You have my sincere thanks for all you do to prioritize the incredible young people we serve at Pathfinders.

Yours in partnership,

Tim Baack
President & CEO

P.S. You’ve likely heard the Trump Administration ordered all federal agencies to suspend grant, loan and financial assistance this Tuesday, which has now been rescinded. I and my executive leadership team work to stay up to date with available information and assess our level of financial risk should any of our federal grants pause.

Pathfinders is confident in our current ability to weather a funding pause should it occur – thanks in large part to your annual support of our work – due to our strong cash position and emergency reserves. We will keep you informed should any significant funding cuts endanger our services.

Thank you to numerous partners and individuals who reached out to elected officials in support of ending this freeze that would endanger critical services.

Interested in taking action? Join us in advocacy with elected officials as they arise.