January 2012 Newsletter

Restore NYC has started 2012 with great optimism, hope and success.

Our safehouse celebrated its first graduation of the year. When Maria* first arrived at our safehouse in February 2011, she had multiple medical issues and lacked immigration status and income. After six years of being raped by an average of 20 men each day, she was extremely traumatized and hopeless. Restore partnered with Sanctuary for Families to help Maria obtain a T visa for trafficking survivors. She also received medical care, started ESL, joined Restore’s yoga classes and participated in our 12-week job-training program. With the assistance of volunteers, she also discovered her talent as a seamstress. Today, her medical needs are stabilized, her English is improving and she attends church on Sundays. Last week, after celebrating her birthday with the safehouse family, Maria moved into her own apartment. She will keep in touch.

We reached our year-end giving goal. Thanks to your incredible generosity, we were able to secure the $50,000 match and raised a total of over $140,000 in December. With these much needed funds, we will be able to provide new beginnings in 2012 for so many women in need of healing.

We launched a pilot art therapy program. Under the direction of committed students from the Columbia University School of Social Work, we are piloting a new art therapy program with a particular focus on healing from trauma. The pilot is culturally and linguistically tailored and will be offered in three modules: ceramics, cooking and basket weaving. We hope that sufficient funds can be generated to ensure self-sustainability. Our safehouse residents started their first session last week. To learn more about the program, please visit the pilot directors’ MyRestore page.

We hope your new year has gotten off to a great start. We look forward to partnering with you in 2012.

*To protect the identities of the survivors with whom we work, a pseudonym has been used.

Save the date for our Restore Freedom Gala! 4.10.2012

Please note that we will be sending Restore newsletters quarterly moving forward.