How Do We Help?

Human trafficking is a complex problem. Sometimes it seems so complex it is hard to know how to help. Around us there are many women who need a chance to rebuild their life after significant trauma, abuse, and coercion. What is the best way to support someone in establishing their independence? 

At SAGE we believe that healing happens in relationships where people feel loved and valued. We also believe that helping survivors with financial independence is key to their success. If you have wondered about the details of what we do to support survivors, here is a closer look at how our program operates.

What Does a Day at SAGE Look Like?

At SAGE we offer part-time employment in a trauma informed workplace. This means that all our staff have received training on what trauma is and how it can manifest itself. As part of our trauma informed model, all employees create a coping plan for work and use it if they begin to feel overwhelmed or distracted during the day. 

The work day begins with a day starter. This is where we do a check-in and a short training to get the day off to a good start. The rest of the day is split up into different types of tasks, including: creative tasks, entrepreneurial tasks, and small assembly projects. We aim to have at least one creative project in every work day because the creative process is healing for so many women. The day winds down with a time of cleaning up and reorganizing our space to prepare for the next day. We have found that an orderly environment is integral to a positive workplace.

Skills building is an important part of our weekly routine. When we create our schedule for the week we think about what vocational skills we would like to focus on in that week. Career readiness principles are also taught on a weekly basis and each woman is given the opportunity to assess her progress and make goals to improve her skills.

Career Development and Exploration

Our goal is that survivors will be engaged in a long-term, rewarding career path when they graduate from SAGE. When a woman starts working at SAGE she also starts exploring her career options with our career development manager. This process includes brainstorming, assessments, informational interviews, resume building, learning interviewing skills, networking, internships, and job placement. 

Career exploration is done outside of work time while working one-on-one with each woman. We want women to have options and a toolbox of skills they can return to whenever they want to explore new career paths down the road. 

Building a Community

Everyone needs a supportive community to be successful. We all need each other! That is why we strive to build a community of love and stability at SAGE, a reservoir of strength for survivors, staff and volunteers to draw from. We hold regular community events for our SAGE family. These events focus on building relationships and are often educational in nature. For example, our community event this month is an art lesson/paint night led by a local artist.

Mentoring is another important component of SAGE’s community building. Each woman in our program connects with a mentor who acts as a long term support person. A mentor may offer support in the form of being a listening ear, spending time together, teaching a skill, or giving practical assistance with accomplishing a goal.

We have a lot going on at SAGE but ultimately it is place where people come together to work, love, and grow. Healing happens in relationships. Healing happens when there is hope for the future.

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