human trafficking Archives - Alternatives For Girls

Alternatives For Girls’ Prom

Aug. 31 2018 | Tags: Events, Homeless Youth, human trafficking, news, Outreach, Shelter, volunteer projects, volunteers

On August 17^th, Alternatives For Girls held its first ever prom! The event was held for the girls and women in AFG’s programs who were not able to attend their own prom. On the day of the event, staff and volunteers transformed AFG’s community room into a beautiful ballroom. Thanks to many generous individuals, businesses, and groups, the room was complete with sound, lighting, a special favor bar with lots of candy, and formal tablescapes.

Before the prom began, the girls and women were pampered by volunteer hairstylists and make-up artists. Once they were ready, they put on their beautiful dresses, shoes, and accessories, which were all donated by generous individuals, and walked down the red carpet. After getting their photo taken, the party began!

The girls and women had a blast dancing along to the music, courtesy of DJ Rue. After some dancing, everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner, complete with dessert. The highlight of the night came when each girl and woman was pronounced Prom Queen! Each of them received their very own crown, and many teared up while putting it on.

The dancing continued until the night came to a close. Each girl and woman left with a smile on their face, grateful for experiencing the special evening.

Alternatives For Girls would like to thank all of the donors and volunteers who made the AFG Prom possible! We could not have done it without your support.

October Volunteer Spotlight: Erin McLoughin

Nov. 1 2016 | Tags: human trafficking, Outreach, Resource Center, volunteer projects, volunteers

Each month, Alternatives For Girls’ Volunteer Department, highlights one volunteer who AFG staff recognize as being a dedicated and passionate volunteer. This month, Erin McLoughin, a volunteer in AFG’s Outreach Department, was nominated because of her dedication to AFG’s mission!

After surviving her own trauma, Erin decided she wanted to give back. She chose AFG because of its mission and involvement with combating human trafficking, an issue close to her heart. Erin became a volunteer at AFG in November of 2015 and since then has been involved in several projects and programs in the Outreach Department. She has been a volunteer in the Resource Center, with the Safe Choices and New Choices programs, and has even facilitated special events and programming! When asked about her greatest strength, Erin mentioned her flexibility, which is an asset to AFG. Erin is willing to step in and take on any situation as it arises, whether it is mundane or stressful.

Erin says she has gained a lot of knowledge through volunteering at Alternatives For Girls and her goal of being a volunteer has transformed since she began. When Erin first started, she primarily wanted to learn and help where needed. Today, Erin aspires to carry out AFG’s mission and take what she has learned to educate others on this issue of human trafficking, which she identifies a key way to stop it from occurring.

As an AFG volunteer and advocate, Erin is a role model to the girls and young women in AFG’s programs because she is strong, goal-centered, and identifies as an alpha-female. Some of the young women have even nicknamed Erin as “G.I. Jane” because of her personality and past military experience!

During her time as a volunteer so far, Erin is very thankful for the girls and young women she’s met, the experience and knowledge she’s gained, and the mentorship she’s received from the Outreach Department staff members. As she continues as a volunteer, Erin wants to encourage girls and young women to move forward and be “not just a survivor, but a thrivor.”

Thank you, Erin, for your on-going commitment to helping girls and young women!

Interested in volunteering? Please contact Jenny Clement, Volunteer Services Manager, at 313-361-4000 x248 or volunteering@alternativesforgirls.org to discuss the next steps to becoming a volunteer at Alternatives For Girls!

AFG Joins National Campaign to Fight Child Trafficking in the United States

Aug. 28 2014 | Tags: Everyone Gives, Everyone's Kids, Homeless Youth, human trafficking

Within 48 hours of running away, a young person is likely to be solicited for prostitution or another form of sexual exploitation [1]. Alternatives For Girls fights this exploitation and trafficking by conducting nighttime and early morning street-based outreach to connect with girls and young women who are homeless, engaged in sex work, or possible victims of trafficking. Through providing resources, a snack, and safe choices, Alternatives For Girls lets these girls and young women know that they are not alone.

Alternatives For Girls is excited to announce that we’ve joined a national movement, Everyone’s Kids, Everyone Gives (EKEG), in a campaign to raise money to help fight child trafficking in the United States. This initiative is uniting nonprofits, foundations, celebrities and other influencers around the nation to raise $1 million dollars in 24 hours on September 16, 2014. With the leading crowdfunding platform for causes, Razoo, EKEG is engaging Americans across the country to take action and support the critical work these nonprofits do every day to protect our children. All monies raised will support the work of the participating nonprofits.

Want to help support Alternatives For Girls in the fight against human trafficking? Here’s what you can do:

Create your own Razoo fundraising page to raise money for Alternatives For Girls on Everyone’s Kids, Everyone Gives Day, September 16^th.
Help spread the word about Everyone’s Kids, Everyone Gives Day and Alternatives For Girls on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.
Donate directly to Alternatives For Girls through our Everyone’s Kids, Everyone Gives Razoo page by scheduling or making a donation on September 16.

We invite you to be part of this important cause by lending your support to the campaign and to join us on September 16 to reach our goal of raising $1,000 for Alternatives For Girls. Together we can help empower young girls across the U.S. to take their lives back, and put an end to child sex trafficking in the U.S. for good. Keep a lookout for our progress and other updates about Everyone’s Kids, Everyone Gives Day on our website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

[1] Family and Youth Services Bureau U.S. Department of Health and Human Services