Francis Fund Recipient: Dawn's Place
“Human Trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity.” –Pope Francis
Founded in 2007, Dawn’s Place is a residential program located in Philadelphia for women who are victims of human trafficking or other forms of sexual exploitation. Since opening their doors, they have housed a total of 68 women, 16 of whom were international victims. Their holistic approach to healing includes a variety of services from medical and dental care, to individual, group, and creative therapy sessions. Additionally, Dawn’s place ensures that all of the women receive a quality education and are able to secure housing and reliable employment.
Receiving donations from the Francis Fund would allow the organization to purchase another house to be used strictly for outpatient services and “after care programming.” While current residents stay for a minimum of 12 months to begin their journey, after years of trauma and abuse they need the continued support to prevent them from ending up back on the streets.
According to Executive Director, Sister Michelle Loisel, “Trafficking is a result of poverty. We wouldn’t need to even have this conversation about human trafficking if we could end the poverty and violence.” In addition to supporting the Women who reside in the house and meeting with the graduates of the program, Dawn’s Place is constantly presenting at various events and locations to raise awareness and encourage advocacy for this modern day form of slavery. Dawn’s Place now prides themselves as the “go-to” organization that other advocates turn to when looking to address the issues of human trafficking and how to best support victims.
Learn more about Dawn's Place as well as the Trafficking Resource Center
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
- Report a tip
- Connect with anti-trafficking services in your area
- Request training and technical assistance
- General information or specific anti-trafficking resources
