October 1, 2018
The University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors has received a one-year $843,337.00 grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) Victims of Crime Assistance (VOCA) Program to provide comprehensive services to victims of sex and labor trafficking in Maryland. The funding will enable the SAFE Center to meet the increasing demand in Maryland for its core bilingual case management, clinical mental health, and legal services programs. The grant will also fund the SAFE Center to serve Washington County in partnership with the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown and Meritus Medical Center.
“Our work at the SAFE Center would not be possible without the strong support we have received from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention,” said Ambassador Susan Esserman, JD, SAFE Center founder and director. “This grant equips the Center with the resources necessary to expand our critical services for human trafficking survivors in Maryland, particularly in Prince George’s, Montgomery, and now Washington counties. We look forward to partnering with the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown and Meritus Medical Center in Washington County.”