My Life My Choice

https://www.mylifemychoice.org/

Volunteer Opportunities: Yes

History, mission and vision statement: 

My Life My Choice is a groundbreaking, nationally recognized leader in the fight to end the commercial sexual exploitation of children.  We offer a unique continuum of services including Survivor Mentoring, Prevention Education, Professional Training, and Advocacy. We are the only anti-human trafficking organization in Massachusetts employing a survivor-led model proven effective in helping youth leave harmful situations and build new lives for themselves. 

In 2001, a young Boston woman was brutally murdered while being commercially sexually exploited.  She was 17 years old and living in a DCF funded group home. Unbeknownst to any of the caring adults in her life (her family, her DCF worker, the group home staff), she was being sold for sex.  Following her death, city leaders came together to ask "was this an isolated incident or the tip of the iceberg?”  We quickly learned it was the tip of the iceberg. Out of Latasha's death, My Life My Choice was born. 

My Life My Choice is a leader in the fight to end commercial sexual exploitation and is the only anti-human trafficking organization in Massachusetts employing a survivor-led model proven effective in helping youth leave harmful situations and build new lives for themselves. Survivor first-hand accounts of victimization have informed all group and training curricula and offer a powerful voice of authenticity to girls entrapped in a life of abuse—allowing My Life My Choice to have a significant impact on a hard-to-reach population. 

At My Life My Choice, we believe that girls have a fundamental human right to live their lives free from exploitation—without fear that adults will prey on their vulnerabilities. To change this landscape, we specifically aim to decrease the incidence and severity of commercial sexual exploitation of girls in Massachusetts.  The central goals of our work are:

• Empower youth to protect themselves from the commercial sex industry and its predators.
• Support survivors and high risk youth in rebuilding their lives, finding their voice, and becoming leaders.
• Educate and mobilize a powerful network of allies to prevent exploitation and help children fight back.