LOTUS LEGAL CLINIC INC

We are working hard to get ready for our big fundraiser happening 9/12 at The Cooperage and just had to share a sneak peek of some of the fantastic offerings we will have in our silent auction! We are adding more items to the auction site every day so register NOW! https://lnkd.in/gMuQec_V This is a VIRTUAL auction so you do not need to be present at the event to participate! **100% of auction and concert revenue will DIRECTLY fund our work providing no-cost legal and support services to survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence in Wisconsin! A HUGE debt of gratitude to the community of individuals and local businesses who are so generously supporting our work!

“Courts across the country criminalize Black women and girls for surviving abuse and sexual violence,” Executive Director of the National Black Women's Justice Institute, Sydney McKinney, wrote in a statement earlier this summer. “Incarceration only worsens and intensifies the harm, mimicking the coercive control and loss of bodily autonomy that sex trafficking survivors experience at the hands of traffickers.” “The response of the prosecutor involved in this case is disappointing, infuriating, and unacceptable, yet unsurprising,” McKinney continues. “Whether states have laws on the books or not, we need prosecutors and judges to have deep compassion for survivors and to use their discretion to opt for healing-centered alternatives instead of punishment for girls like Chrystul Kizer, who was a child in an impossible situation fighting for her life.”

Tickets are on sale NOW for LOTUS' second-ever Rise + Thrive concert fundraiser! Join us for a VERY special night at The Cooperage on September 12th as Milwaukee's own Field Report debuts their new album "Trust in Movements Made". These five original songs were created through LOTUS' Rise + Thrive program where singer/songwriter Chris Porterfield collaborated with survivor-writers who created poems that explore their experiences of joy, resilience, and renewal in the aftermath of sexual trauma. In addition to the new album, the evening will include special guest Darren Garvey as well as a closing set by Field Report playing their favorites from their own discography. We look forward to sharing sneak peeks of the new music in the weeks leading up to the event! This is a fundraising event and EVERY dollar raised will directly fund LOTUS' work providing FREE legal and support services to survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence in Wisconsin. Link to Eventbrite page is in the comments. #milwaukeemusic #milwaukeemusicscene #fundraiser

It's easy to dismiss labor trafficking as something that only happens in "other countries". However, on farms, in factories, in restaurants and hotels, on construction sites, and in the health care industry, labor exploitation and trafficking occur every day right here in Wisconsin. While research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania reports that at least a half-million people in the U.S are currently living in the conditions of forced labor, the issue of labor trafficking is frequently left out of advocacy and awareness campaigns. The Human Trafficking Institute’s 2022 Federal Human Trafficking Report shows U.S. federal prosecutors concentrated 94 percent of trafficking prosecutions on sex trafficking and 6 percent on forced labor cases.6 Conversely, experts have estimated that 70 percent of persons trafficked are in fact for forced labor. We must continue to advocate for the inclusion of labor trafficking in our bipartisan efforts to protect our most vulnerable populations from victimization. #worlddayagainsttraffickinginpersons2024 #labortrafficking #laborrights #nonprofit

HOT OFF THE PRESSES! Check out these gorgeous fliers for our upcoming fundraiser! Shout out to the local family-owned Minuteman Press in Tosa for always knocking it out of the park. BIG thanks to our event sponsors: Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Gruber Law Offices, LLC, O'Leary & Anick, O'NEIL, CANNON, HOLLMAN, DEJONG & LAING S.C., Cain Oulahan, Digital Intelligence Professional Services, Frank Pasternak, Soberalski Immigration Law, LLC, and Kristen D. Hardy. 🎉 Equally vital to the success of this event is the village of LOCAL business owners who are donating their time and talent to our virtual auction: Maggie Banks at Amity Loft, Burn Boot Camp, Happy Gnome Photography, The Ruby Tap, Lynden Sculpture Garden, Empower Yoga Milwaukee, Penelope Godfrey, Milwaukee Art Museum, Potawatomi Casino Hotel, Legacy Gym MKE, Hotel Verdant-Racine, Ebony Esthetics, Mixed Bag, Swoon, and Jake Rohde. 🎉🎉🎉 As a small non-profit, we have first-hand knowledge of the passion, sweat, and tears that go into running a small business and we are deeply grateful for your support! There's still room for more logos! Email Heather@LotusLegalClinic.org if you're interested in supporting our work through event sponsorship or a donation to our virtual auction! #supportsmallbusinesses #nonprofit #ItTakesAVillage

It's always an honor to be in a room full of women who aren't just breaking barriers for themselves but are also dedicated to using their talents to uplift others. Congratulations to all of the golfers and THANK YOU for your continued investment in our work providing legal and support services to survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking in Wisconsin!

Join us August 1st at Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN) for a panel discussion that humanizes the experiences of sexual assault survivors and explores the power of the arts as a conduit for healing from trauma. We are thrilled to have musician Chris Porterfield of Milwaukee’s Field Report join this conversation, along with Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design alumnae Anna Daood and  Ashley Bledsoe, and writers Melissa Davis, Rhianna Vasquez, and Abbey Brooks, to discuss their experiences working with LOTUS’ Therapeutic Arts programming and how the project impacted them both personally and professionally. If you are interested in exploring creative writing as a means of processing your own experiences, you’re interested in facilitating a workshop, or you're an artist wanting to learn more about the program, this event will let you learn all about LOTUS' Therapeutic Arts program directly from the participants. Thank you to our friends at Odvant Creative for generously sponsoring this FREE community event! #milwaukee #milwaukeeart #healingthroughart

We are extremely honored and grateful to be among just ten Wisconsin organizations to receive grant funding through the 2024 Racine Dominicans Mission Fund. This funding will support our work providing free, comprehensive civil legal services to immigrant survivors of human trafficking and sexual violence, helping minimize the systemic barriers these survivors face when accessing legal and wrap-around services. Congratulations to the other grantees and best of luck as we work together to make Wisconsin a more equitable and just community for all!

Join us on August 1st at Milwaukee Artist Resource Network for a panel discussion that humanizes the experiences of sexual assault survivors and discusses the power of the arts as a conduit for healing from trauma. We are excited to have Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design alumna Ashlyn Bledsoe joining us as a panelist to share how her experience working with the Untold Stories writers impacted her both personally and professionally. This striking piece is Ashlyn's response to Ty'Angela Barksdale's poem, "Galaxy Girl". If you're interested in exploring creative writing as a means to process your own experiences, or you're an artist wanting to learn more about the program, this event will let you learn about LOTUS' therapeutic arts program directly from the participants. Register today for this FREE community event! https://lnkd.in/girSHjwY #milwaukee #milwaukeeart #milwaukeeartist #milwaukeeartistresourcenetwork #HealingThroughArt #healingthroughart

The best part about preparing for our August 1st panel discussion at Milwaukee Artist Resource Network is taking the time to pore over past issues of our Untold Stories magazines to pick poetry and visual art to feature at the event. (registration link in comments) This beautiful piece is in response to Ashley's poem, "There's Something About Love In 2022". "Something about love Can shatter trauma. Even if that trauma, Has branches and leaves An entire ecosystem of Opportunity to turn you into A soulless person. But something about love Can also Give you hope, that one day, That glass of Trauma– will Go missing." #milwaukeeart #milwaukee #MKE #healingthroughart #marn #marnalumni