Our Rescue Awards $60,000 in Grants to Minnesota-based Nonprofits Focused on Fighting Sex Trafficking and Child Exploitation

Grants are part of Our Rescue's "Join the Fight" educational campaign to observe National Human Trafficking Prevention Month this January

MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Our Rescue, a global non-governmental organization dedicated to combating sex trafficking and child exploitation, awarded a $50,000 grant to Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, based in Minneapolis, and $10,000 to St. Cloud nonprofit Terebinth Refuge. The grants will help advance the mission and impact of both nonprofits in serving and supporting women who are survivors of sex exploitation and trafficking, many of whom have experienced trauma since childhood.

Sex trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes. In fact, Minnesota has the third largest number of child sexual exploitation cases filed in the country. The number of tips on possible human trafficking incidents has increased by 38 percent since 2022, according to the Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Task Force. Globally, the International Labour Organization reports that forced commercial sexual exploitation generates $173 billion in illegal profits per year.

"As a Minneapolis-based organization with global impact, we are proud to support the critical work of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center and Terebinth Refuge," said Our Rescue CEO Tammy Lee. "Both organizations advance our survivor-centered mission by providing proven, trauma-informed care and healing spaces for women who have experienced trafficking and exploitation."

Lee added, "As we grow Our Rescue's new headquarters in Minneapolis this year, we will be collaborating with these and other strategic partners to further expand direct services for survivors with a laser-focus on at-risk youth and Indigenous populations."

Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center has received a $50,000 grant from Our Rescue to enhance the organization's Noojimo program, a culturally specific, trauma-informed initiative that supports Native American women who are survivors of violence. The grant also will help fund a new Resource Navigator role, which will provide case management services and offer financial assistance for housing, childcare and legal support to help over 75 women annually as they work toward long-term recovery and stability.

Terebinth Refuge has received a $10,000 grant to support staff wages for its holistic healing program, which provides shelter, transitional housing and comprehensive trauma-informed services for adult survivors of sexual exploitation. The program aims to empower women to achieve physical, mental and spiritual wellness through life skills training and aftercare support, helping them achieve long-term stability and independence.

The grants are a key component of Our Rescue's "Join the Fight" awareness campaign, launched in observance of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month this January. As part of Our Rescue's mission to help identify and arrest predators and support survivors on their pathways to hope and healing, the organization invites everyone to sign the Join the Fight pledge, watch the new documentary "When Survivors Speak: The Light in the Darkness of Human Trafficking," get involved and become an advocate for change.

About Our Rescue
Headquartered in Minneapolis, Our Rescue is a global non-governmental organization on a mission to end sex trafficking and child exploitation by empowering survivors to reclaim their lives and thrive on their healing journey. Founded in 2013, the organization focuses on education toward prevention, supports law enforcement in rescuing survivors and prosecuting perpetrators, and provides trauma-informed survivor care services. Our Rescue operates in the U.S. and 27 countries.

SOURCE Our Rescue