To Our FAIR Girls Supporters and Partners
We would like to share with you some exciting leadership changes at FAIR Girls. After over 5 years, first as Director of Policy and then as Executive Director, I have decided to transition from my role as Executive Director. I have been so grateful for this opportunity to lead an organization that is doing such critical work to support survivors and combat human trafficking in our communities.
I came to FAIR Girls in October 2016 as Director of Policy because, as a federal prosecutor, I had seen first-hand the barriers facing trafficking survivors and the gaps in services and resources available to them. I wanted to influence policy on the local and national levels to address those barriers and gaps. I knew that working at FAIR Girls as the Director of Policy would give me the opportunity to amplify the voices of survivors to ensure that our policy making included their invaluable perspective and lived experience. In 2017, the Board asked me to take over as an interim Executive Director when the founder of FAIR Girls transitioned away from the organization. I officially took over as Executive Director in December 2017, with the goal of ensuring that the organization came through the transition stable and stronger. While I had only intended to serve as an Executive Director for a short period of time, my deep commitment to the work of FAIR Girls and my desire to ensure that the organization continues to thrive kept me on board far beyond the time I ever contemplated.
Here we are now, almost four years later, and what a wonderful, insightful, and productive journey it has been! During my tenure, I was excited to witness the organization grow in so many wonderful ways – stronger, better, more influential, and more diverse.
We have achieved so many incredible milestones working together. Our achievements include:
- Grants expansion: Expanding from a single government grant that only partially covered the cost of running our Vida Home to five major government grants that fully cover the staffing and expenses of operating our Vida Home, our HOPE Court program, our Prevention Education and Outreach Program and Drop in Center and our efforts to serve survivors trafficked in nearby Montgomery County and Prince George’s County Maryland.
- Deepened Partnerships: Deepening our relationship and investment from existing foundation partners and creating relationships with new foundations and funders. At the same time we have built robust referral pathways and fortified our continuum of care for survivors by strengthening and solidifying our partnerships with local service providers, agencies and law enforcement with mutually beneficial MOUs. FAIR Girls is considered a local anti-trafficking leader and a good and reliable partner!
- Strategic Staff Expansion and Internal Infrastructure: Doubling our staff size and creating strategic positions such as our Direct Services Manager, Housing Manager, Residential Care Coordinators, Dedicated HOPE Court Case and CFSA Management Coordinators, Prevention Education and Outreach Specialist, Development Director, Deputy Director and Finance and Operations Assistant. This year we are adding new strategic growth positions, including a Workforce Development/Drop-in Center Coordinator, Therapist, and Grant Manager. We also increased insurance and wellness benefits and professional development opportunities for our staff and have a robust collection of manuals and protocols to aid our efforts to operate in compliance with regulatory and legal requirements.
- Enhancing the Vida Home: Moving our Vida Home to a new safer location with improved amenities in a well-cared for townhouse setting and a landlord committed to our mission. We revamped our Vida Home staffing structure to ensure best practices in trauma-informed, survivor-centered transitional housing and we successfully expanded our program from a 90-day program to 180-day program.
- Expanding our Drop-in Center: This summer, we will open our new and expanded Drop-in Center which offers survivors a safe place to come, meet with their case managers, and engage in group programming. Our Drop-in Center offers barrier free services, including laundry and full kitchen services, on-site therapy, and a robust workforce development and economic empowerment program. This new Center will also offer space for our team of professionals to meet with their clients one-on-one and have dedicated office space and resources to meet their administrative responsibilities.
- National Recognition: FAIR Girls was a 2020 National Crime Victims Service Award recipient – one of only thirteen recipients from the entire country to receive this prestigious honor from the Office of Victims of Crime, U.S. Department of Justice. As a small local anti-trafficking non-profit, FAIR Girls was so honored to receive this national recognition.
Because of these and many other successes, and the increased stability and growth that FAIR Girls has experienced over the past 4 years, the FAIR Girls Board and I are confident that FAIR Girls is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory and realize each of our strategic priorities, namely to: (1) ensure long-term sustainability and growth, (2) sustain and strengthen programs and services to improve survivor outcomes, and (3) strengthen FAIR Girls’ position in the community as an anti-human trafficking thought leader on prevention, education and policy advocacy.
To ensure a successful transition, I will be working closely with Dawanna Kennedy, our interim Executive Director, as she navigates taking the helm of this amazing organization, effective immediately. Dawanna was hired to serve as Deputy Director and strategically chosen for her professional experience as an Executive Director as part of our succession planning process. Dawanna comes to the organization with expertise and experience in nonprofit leadership and, above all, an enthusiastic commitment to FAIR Girls’ mission. Dawanna stepped into the role immediately with enthusiasm, professionalism, and vision. I know I speak confidently on behalf of the Board when I say that we are all very impressed with Dawanna’s demonstrated dedication to FAIR Girls’ work and vision for how to improve upon our successes. Standing upon the strong foundation we have built together over the past 4 years, Dawanna is poised to lead FAIR Girls into our next phase of strategic growth as a local anti-trafficking leader.
I am proud that, under my leadership, FAIR Girls was able to make a positive difference in the lives of the hundreds of survivors we served. I am so grateful for the survivors who trusted me with their lived experiences. I have learned so much, worked with such amazing passionate, compassionate, and inspiring professionals – from our staff and Board, to our local and national partners, to our incredible funders and supporters. It has been such a privilege to work with you all and I am forever grateful for the support, encouragement, trust, and empowerment you have given me over these years.
While my last official day at FAIR Girls will be July 2, 2021, I remain deeply committed to the organization and our work and intend to continue to support both in the future by transitioning to a Board member role in the coming year. As we tell all our clients: once a FAIR Girl, always a FAIR Girl!
Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we enter this exciting next phase of FAIR Girls’ future.
In Partnership,
Erin B. Andrews
Executive Director