Episode 300 | Just Direct Financial Assistance: A Strategy to Support Survivors of Human Trafficking
Original Release Date: October 18, 2024
In episode 3 of our economic empowerment season, Just Science down with Megan Lundstrom, the inaugural Director of the Polaris Project’s Resilience Fund, to discuss how flexible cash assistance can support people who have experienced human trafficking.
Direct financial assistance, such as stipends or grants, play an important role in supporting economic empowerment for people who have experienced human trafficking. They can be used to seed a small business, participate in a job training program, or further one’s education. Listen as Lauren and Megan talk about the types of direct financial assistance available, and the benefits of these programs for people who have experienced human trafficking.
This season is funded by the Human Trafficking Policy and Research Analyses Project. The views expressed in this podcast belong to the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, the Administration for Children and Families, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Listen/Download at: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Soundcloud Spotify YouTube Podcasts
Additional Resources
- The Resilience Fund
- National Survivor Study
- Free From’s Trust Survivors
- You Are More Than, Inc.
- IPV Survivors’ Perceptions of How a Flexible Funding Housing Intervention Impacted Their Children
- Human Trafficking Policy and Research Analysis Project:
Episode Citation
Lundstrom, M. & Vollinger, L. (2024, September 19). Just Science. Just Direct Financial Assistance: A Strategy to Support Survivors of Human Trafficking. [Audio podcast episode]. RTI Justice Practice Area.
Guest Biography
Megan Lundstrom is the Director of The Resilience Fund at Polaris, a basic income pilot for survivors of human trafficking in the US. Prior to joining Polaris, Megan founded and ran The Avery Center for Research & Services, a nationally serving organization focused on the economic empowerment of individuals who had experienced commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. With over 15 years combined lived and professional experience, Megan is committed to identifying and implementing evidence-based solutions to addressing systems barriers that create and perpetuate commercial exploitation of marginalized communities.
