CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has been awarded more than $3.4 million in grant funding, which the organization announced Thursday morning. The funding will be put toward expanding services and programming for those who are experiencing human trafficking.
As of now, Ohio ranks sixth among states in the United States for human trafficking, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In Ohio, minors account for 27 percent of the reported cases.
“Young people, people of color and those who identify as LGTBQ are especially vulnerable to being trafficked in our community.” said Cleveland Rape Crisis Center President & CEO Sondra Miller. “This funding will allow Cleveland Rape Crisis Center to broaden its service menu and delivery footprint, making it easier for survivors to access comprehensive services.
The funding will help projects such as collaborating with the Ohio Department of Youth Services to assist minors that have experienced trafficking, improving first responder responses through training sessions, and offering legal services to those who survive trafficking, according to a release.
“Cleveland Rape Crisis Center has provided support to survivors of sex trafficking for nearly half a century," Miller said. "We are humbled by our funders’ continued trust in our work and excited to expand and innovate our services even more."
The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is receiving this funding from the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Victims of Crime & Office of Violence Against Women, the State of Ohio, the Ohio Children’s Trust Fund and the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services.
MORE HEADLINES:
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on Dec. 24, 2021.
