Dear Friends,
When I think about the holidays, I think about home–about that feeling of security and trust, of knowing that the people around you love you unconditionally. I think about how Cast creates a feeling of home for survivors that opens the door to their journey to freedom and independence.
That feeling of home is why I have got up every morning for the past eight years and gone to work for Cast. The work can be exhausting. When survivors share the horrors they have experienced, it shakes my faith in humanity. But, knowing I can give them a sense of home makes it all worthwhile.
Survivors like Laura (they/them) remind me just how transformative our work can be. Laura was manipulated by people they thought were their friends, sex trafficked at a bar, and force-fed drugs. At every turn, Laura was betrayed by people they trusted – their girlfriend.
Once Laura made it to Cast, they finally felt at home. Laura found the courage to explore his gender identity, secured multiple professional certifications, and became a counselor for people struggling with drug addiction. Now, Laura is pursuing t he next step in their journey: becoming a community leader and running for office! These were all possible because of their tenacity and hard work, traits one uncovers when you finally have a home and unconditional love that Cast provides for survivors.
The pandemic brought never-seen-before needs and numbers of urgent human trafficking cases. The isolation and economic precarity, combined with L.A.’s homelessness crisis, have served as fertile ground for traffickers. Cast stepped up, adapting our programs and serving more survivors than ever before.
Your generosity makes the support we provide possible. This holiday season, I’m asking you to make a gift and provide a sense of home to survivors who so desperately need it.
Thank you for all you do for Cast, and for considering a gift before the end of the year.
Yours in strength,
Rebecca Amado-Sprigg
Associate Director of Equitable Housing
P.S. Your gift to Cast is fully tax-deductible, and the organization meets the highest standards for transparency, financial stewardship, and leadership on Charity Navigator.
P.P.S. If you have donated to your donor-advised fund, you have already set aside
money. Now is the time to contact your fund manager to send a grant.
Together, we can be the community survivors rely on. Join us by making a donation to Cast. Click here to donate.