Lowey Announces $499,000 Federal Grant to White Plains Organization Helping Victims of Human Trafficking

Press Release

Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) totaling $499,509 for My Sister's Place, Inc. (MSP) of White Plains. The grant will help MSP enhance the quality and quantity of services available to assist victims of human trafficking.

"Exploiting the most vulnerable among us for profit is an abomination, and victims of human trafficking deserve our full support," said Lowey. "These federal dollars will help My Sister's Place assist men, women, and children who have been forced or coerced into unwanted labor, sexual acts, or other service situations. As Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fight for federal resources to protect victims from these criminal acts and keep our communities safe."

This grant will enable MSP to assist more trafficking victims in and around Westchester County with comprehensive, timely services to recover and restore more stability in their lives. This includes providing specialized education and skills-building professional development to service providers, law enforcement officials, and faith-based organizations to improve their ability to identify, assess, investigate, and refer or provide services to human trafficking victims; increasing the number of collaborative partners who provide critical services to human trafficking victims in Westchester; and developing an evaluation plan that will assist MSP and partner agencies to improve service delivery and outreach efforts.

"My Sisters' Place is delighted to receive this funding from OVC to enhance the work we have been engaged in for years to support survivors of all forms of human trafficking, and to help those in our community better identify and combat this human rights abuse," said Karen Cheeks-Lomax, Esq., CEO of My Sisters' Place. "As awareness of human trafficking has increased, My Sisters' Place has seen a significant rise in the number of identified victims each year. With this funding, My Sisters' Place will be able to expand our efforts to combat human trafficking in Westchester County, assist more victims in seeking safety, self-determination and justice, and increase training opportunities and collaborative efforts throughout the county. We thank Congresswoman Lowey for her continued support of this important issue and the overall work of our agency."

Ensuring safe and secure communities is a priority for Congresswoman Lowey, and she believes citizens have the basic right to live in communities free from fear and violence. That is why Lowey is working to:

Advance commonsense gun safety initiatives;
Protect children from predators;
Eliminate drunk driving; and
Ensure law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMTs are trained and equipped to keep our community safe.

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