Announcement
Victoria joined the 探花精选 team as a volunteer in December 2016. Recently nominated for the Washington Governor's Volunteer Service Award, Victoria shares how she got her start at the 探花精选, the work she鈥檚 focused on in her role, and some heartfelt wishes for 探花精选 clients in the coming year. On how she first got connected with the 探花精选: 鈥淎 friend of mine volunteered for the 探花精选 in Baltimore and loved it! She highly recommended I get involved. That鈥檚 how I found the 探花精选. It was even more opportune that a volunteer role was available in my field of study! The timing was perfect.鈥
The (WARN) is a coalition of organizations, led by the 探花精选 in Seattle, that provides direct services to survivors of human trafficking across Washington State. WARN serves all survivors of human trafficking regardless of age, country of origin, legal status in the United States, or industry in which the trafficking occurred.
鈥淗uman trafficking is a pervasive, often overlooked injustice in our society,鈥 Victoria states. 鈥淚 want to raise awareness, but also fully participate in the work it takes to make a difference in the lives of survivors.鈥 Having already served at organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Baltimore, the Public Justice Foundation, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), Victoria came to the 探花精选 in Seattle wanting to broaden her horizons: 鈥淚 wanted to understand more about the implementation and management of federal grants intended to provide support and services to survivors. Learning the administrative side of grant management revealed to me how the WARN program logistically focuses on the needs of survivors. This was a new and exciting skill to develop.鈥
Applying her educational background in Applied Conflict Management, Criminology, Psychology, and a Master鈥檚 in Criminal Justice with a focus on Victimology, Victoria has contributed to many aspects of funder-mandated reporting and helped enhance WARN鈥檚 systems for data management. With more than 200 volunteer hours logged (and rising!) she鈥檚 been instrumental in supporting the administration of the 探花精选鈥檚 anti-trafficking program. Being an advocate for marginalized communities and victims of crime can be challenging, but Victoria says one of the highlights of her volunteer role, so far, was representing the 探花精选 at the Freedom Network USA Conference in Washington, DC last year. Freedom Network is the largest coalition of experts and advocates providing direct services to survivors of human trafficking in the U.S. 鈥淚 loved meeting people from around the country doing similar work. It was empowering!鈥
When asked about challenges in her role, Victoria takes a deep breath: 鈥淲e have many sub-grantees under one particular grant. There is a lot of paperwork involved that demands uniformity. Communication and coordination are essential skills for any aspiring WARN volunteer or intern to have.鈥
Kathleen Morris, the 探花精选鈥檚 Senior Program Manager and Victoria鈥檚 direct supervisor adds: 鈥淰ictoria鈥檚 contributions to the 探花精选鈥檚 WARN program have indisputably become a vital part of our team鈥檚 success. Her commitment to our organization is evident. She shows up and knows exactly what to do.鈥
As Victoria鈥檚 graduation approaches, she reflects on her experience with WARN and shares her wishes for 探花精选鈥檚 clients who are survivors of trafficking, refugees, asylees, and immigrants: 鈥淢aintain your strength and dedication to your dreams. Even when your goals seem impossible to reach, there are good people all around that want to help you reach them. Stay connected to those people. Always ask for help when you need it.鈥
We thank Victoria for all she鈥檚 done to support the WARN program and survivors in our community. Victoria is expected to graduate in June 2018 with her Master鈥檚 in Criminal Justice. We wish her all the best as she explores new ways to make a positive impact in our community.
Interested in becoming a volunteer or intern with the 探花精选? Check out our Volunteer Opportunities page to learn more!