Members of Sanctuary, Inc. spotlighted the organization’s services and a new work program they launched to support survivors of abuse at Tuesday’s Hopkinsville Rotary Club meeting.
Sanctuary opened in Hopkinsville in 1984 and has since become a nonprofit that operates in the Pennyrile Region and provides support and resources to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Heather Lancaster, the executive director of Sanctuary, shared that the nonprofit recently launched the Empower to Work Program, a volunteer work program that provides abuse survivors a short-term paid job placement.
Lancaster says the program helps survivors get back into the workforce, gain experience and confidence and become more self-sufficient.
The program also relies on the participation of community businesses, and recently seven more organizations have joined the program to provide employment to Sanctuary clients. Lancaster says she has heard many positive reports from survivors regarding the program.
Lancaster shared some testimonies from clients in the program and one of the participants said they now have no need to depend on others for what they earned. Lancaster says the program helps their clients become more independent after leaving an abusive environment.
Businesses interested in participating in the program must undergo trauma informed training and background checks. Sanctuary also compensates participating businesses. More information about Sanctuary and programs the nonprofit offers is available at thesanctuaryinc.com.