September Newsletter

Dear Friend,

It is a privilege to write to you, our community of supporters, this month on behalf of the whole GEMS team. We are grateful for all you do to support our members and our work.

August was another exciting month for us! Girls continued to participate in our weekly groups, making beautiful artwork and jewelry. And more than 25 members and staff enjoyed some fun in the sun on a trip to Splish Splash. We went on numerous rides and spent hours in the wave pool! It was a great opportunity to get out of the city and have some fun together.

Our second annual Career Week took place the week of August 23rd. It was so rewarding to see GEMS members engaged and open, learning from the many professionals who graciously came to meet them and explore different career paths with them. School social workers, a pediatric nurse, journalists and lawyers–to name a few–all came to GEMS to share their knowledge and experiences with our members in interactive sessions. We also had personality tests, a resume writing workshop, and a panel presentation from entrepreneurial women. The week wrapped up with a fabulous Friday with stylist AJ Crimson and his glam squad. The girls had professional makeovers and a day of inspiration and beauty. A special thanks to all who made this week possible!

As summer comes to a close, we are helping our members return to high schools, GED programs and trainings, and college. We see the great strides they make everyday and it is an honor for us to share their successes with you. Thanks for your ongoing support and faith in our work and girls!

Sincerely,

Julie Laurence
Interim Executive Director & Clinical Director

GEMS Community Outreach

Partnerships + Projects

NYC Children’s Services

We conducted a training for 40 administrators at NYC Children’s Services Brooklyn field office to address the issues of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), including what puts youth at risk, how girls are recruited into the commercial sex industry, and how to identify victims and support them in their recovery. This training request was made shortly after the arrest of several gang members who were charged with recruiting girls from junior high schools in Brooklyn and forcing them into the commercial sex industry.

Shared Hope International
GEMS presented on a panel with Shared Hope International entitled “Resources for Trafficking Victims: Advocacy & Victims Services” at the National District Attorney’s Association conference “Strategies for Justice: Advanced Investigation and Prosecution of Child Abuse and Exploitation” in Washington, DC.

Advocacy
This month the Vacating Convictions Bill was signed into law by Governor Paterson! The new law gives sexually exploited youth, as defined by the Safe Harbor law, an opportunity to clear their records of prior convictions.

Highlights & Happenings

Career Week
Our Education Initiative program hosted GEMS’ second annual Career Week. During the week-long event, GEMS members learned about career opportunities, met one-on-one with professional women, heard from female entrepreneurs, learned valuable skills such as resume writing and job search strategies, and received makeovers from celebrity stylist AJ Crimson to become interview ready!

Girls Are Not For Sale Goes To School
The Girls Are Not For Sale campaign is working with student advocates to screen the Very Young Girls documentary and spread awareness of CSEC and domestic trafficking across campuses this coming Fall. If you would like to be a leader on your campus, contact Jenny@gems-girls.org to join the campaign.

Visit the Council of Daughters to join!

GEMS In The News

GEMS in National Report

OJJDP (the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) released a new Department of Justice Report to Congress on “The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction.” In addition to including useful statistics pertaining to CSEC, the report, whose release was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder, includes GEMS’ statistics on the issue and highlights our work providing direct services to girls and young women.

Tags: Advocacy, Career Week, commercial sexual exploitation of children, Community Outreach, CSEC, Domestic Trafficking, GEMS, GEMS Newsletter, Girls Are Not For Sale, News, Newsletter, NYC Children's Services, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, OJJDP, Shared Hope International