Project Anchor- adolescent victims of sexual abuse

Things haven’t been very different around here. We have been tirelessly dedicated to serving our youth, consistently responding to hospitals in the area to support minor victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation. I want to take a moment to honor our victim advocates, who always show up for our clients—no matter the hour. Their unwavering passion to help others is truly a powerful catalyst for change, inspiring hope in those who need it most.

As we conclude an important month of awareness—Teen Self-Esteem Awareness Month—it fills me with gratitude and purpose. Throughout this month, we've shared numerous heartfelt posts on social media emphasizing just how vital self-esteem is for teens. Having worked closely with many teenagers, I know firsthand how deeply self-esteem affects them. Child sexual abuse can distort their view of themselves; they may look in the mirror and see someone broken, unloved—someone destined to be fixed but never whole.

Our role as victim advocates is to remind our teens of their incredible worth, to help them see beyond what happened to them and recognize how truly special they are. Self-esteem is a challenge for many teenagers, but when trauma and abuse are involved, it becomes even more overwhelming. We support our teens by creating activities that foster understanding of their intrinsic value—through positive affirmations and encouraging them to be kinder to themselves. Attached is an image of a project we do often. We have clients decorate an empty jar and then have them write down positive affirmations in the jar. This is an easy activity that is easy to pull out when you need a pick me up! 

As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support. Your compassion makes a difference—helping a survivor heal and find hope, every single day.