85% of women who completed our Sisters Program health survey reported experiencing sex trafficking as an adult. Despite this, the risk of arrests and jail remains high, with 54% arrested for a related charge.

With your support, we reach women in the street-based sex trade who are more likely to be stigmatized and criminalized than offered the help they need.

Our Sisters Program staff warmly welcome women as they are—whether under the influence of drugs or alcohol, struggling with untreated mental health issues, or still involved in the street sex trade. We do not require abstinence because it would leave many women behind, and we know progress can be made from any starting point.

Because of you, the Benedict Center offers women a safe place that empowers them to choose services that are right for them.

This is true for Cassie. Without her own home for several years, she often slept outside. Our Street Outreach Team met her and provided bagged lunches and harm-reduction supplies. Over time, she accepted the invitation to our Drop-In Center, coming in for respite and basic needs.

At the Center, our case manager was able to build rapport with her. After several months, Cassie took a courageous step: she confided that she was trapped in a dangerous relationship and wanted to break free. Her case manager swiftly connected Cassie to a safe shelter until she could begin residential drug treatment. But where would she live after that, when Milwaukee has a shortage of housing programs?

With strong support from people like you, the Benedict Center advocates for system-wide solutions to address the unmet housing needs of women in the sex trade.

Too often, when women take steps toward change, systemic barriers stand in their way. Our advocacy efforts led to Milwaukee County’s first dedicated HUD funding for survivors of sex trafficking and domestic violence. As a result, we were able to help Cassie obtain a two-year rent voucher. Last month, Cassie moved into her own secure apartment.

We Need Your Help More Than Ever

Last year, the Sisters Street Outreach Team reached 658 women, making the Benedict Center Milwaukee’s largest dedicated outreach program for women who would otherwise be left behind.

While we cannot be certain of future government funding (currently 66% of the Sisters budget), we know we can count on caring individuals like you to ensure there is refuge and hope for women like Cassie.

Your gift today ensures life-saving services designed especially for women like Cassie – who do not need to be abstinent before they can seek help. When we meet women where they are, we lower the risk of opioid overdoses and increase their chances to survive the violence they experience on the streets.

Your Support Can Change Lives