RESTORE NYC INC

All ProgramsIn FY24, Restore received 466 referrals, provided support to 473 survivors and individuals at risk, and delivered core services to 229 survivors. A defining moment of the year came in February 2024 (FY24, Quarter 2) when Restore was honored with the Presidential Award for Extraordinary Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons, one of only two organizations nationwide to receive this prestigious recognition. Issued by the President's Inter-agency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, this award highlights Restores innovative program models, exceptional service delivery, data-driven impact, and strong partnerships. It affirms Restores role as a national leader in the anti-trafficking movement and sets a benchmark for effectiveness across the sector.Client ServicesIn FY24, 184 clients were served under the Client Services program, including 174 in case management, 31 in clinical counseling and 11 in group counseling. In addition, we provided 226 clients with short-term resource coordination and 7 clients with emergency housing for a total of 96 nights. Restores Client Services program expanded its impact by meeting the growing demand for Spanish-speaking case management and ensuring survivors received goal-oriented support tailored to their holistic well-being. Through a culturally sensitive and trauma-informed approach, our dedicated team helped survivors navigate their unique paths to stability and healing. To enhance staff well-being and sustain high-quality care, Restore introduced a more trauma-informed case assignment process, ensuring balanced workloads while maintaining the timeliness and effectiveness of services. Our commitment to survivor-centered care has strengthened our ability to provide individualized service planning, empowering survivors to achieve meaningful progress.This year also marked the successful introduction of a 10-week trauma wellness group and a music therapy group conducted in Spanish, offering survivors innovative tools to process trauma and build resilience. While maintaining our focus on in-house support, we also deepened our collaboration with community partners to expand access to specialized mental health services. By prioritizing survivor well-being over numerical outcomes, Restore continues to set a high standard for comprehensive, compassionate care. Our Client Services team remains dedicated to fostering long-term healing and empowerment, ensuring that every survivor receives the support they need to thrive.HousingIn FY 2024, Restore served 55 clients in our Housing program, 45 in rapid re-housing, and 23 in flexible-funding. Our transitional home served 8 survivors and provided emergency housing via Restore-specific hotel partnerships for 7 survivors and 84% of all clients were housed within 6 months of intake.Restore strengthened its housing initiatives by focusing on retention, expanding partnerships, and enhancing survivor support. This fiscal year, we deepened collaborations with community organizations, landlords, and real estate firms, ensuring survivors have increased access to stable housing options. To further promote long-term housing success, Restore expanded its landlord network, extended flexible funding timelines from 12 to 24 months on average, and enhanced mental health support through Client Services referrals. These strategic enhancements have allowed survivors to make meaningful progress toward independent living while receiving the necessary wraparound support.Restores leadership in housing extends beyond direct services, as we continue to shape the broader housing landscape for survivors. We co-chaired the Shelter Subcommittee on the Brooklyn Human Trafficking Task Force (BKHTTF) alongside Safe Horizon, the Brooklyn DAs Office, and the FBI New York Office, playing a key role in strengthening shelter and housing responses for trafficking survivors. Additionally, Restore was an active member of the Domestic Violence Subcommittee within New York City's Continuum of Care (CoC), which oversees all HUD funding for the city. These leadership roles have allowed us to advocate for survivor-centered housing policies and expand access to critical resources.Other milestones this year was the successful recruitment of a Program Manager of Residential Services and our first Housing Case Manager, reinforcing our commitment to comprehensive residential and client support. Additionally, we developed and distributed a housing brochure to all clients entering residential and non-residential services, ensuring they have clear and accessible information about available housing resources. Finally, Restore became the first and only trafficking-specific HUD-funded organization in New York City, a recognition that confirms our leadership in survivor housing solutions. While the HUD grant will formally begin in FY25, this award serves as a significant FY24 milestone, enhancing Restores capacity to drive meaningful, long-term impact in the anti-trafficking field.Economic EmpowermentIn FY24, the Economic Empowerment Program served a total of 101 clients, including 44 in job readiness classes, 36 in job placement, 26 in entrepreneurship training, 29 in entrepreneurship incubation, 26 in job retention, and 10 in career development.The Economic Empowerment (EE) program achieved significant milestones, strengthening career pathways and financial independence for survivors. Through a strategic partnership with BEST Alliance, we delivered a virtual trauma-informed workplace and resiliency training for new and existing business partners, ensuring employment environments remain safe and supportive. Additionally, Restore successfully executed the Future in Training (FIT) Hospitality curriculum, a collaboration between Marriott International and the University of Maryland Safe Center. Clients participated in hospitality training, engaged in hotel site visits, and applied for jobs within the industry, expanding their access to stable employment opportunities. Our entrepreneurship training curriculum was also enhanced to include content on financial trauma and entrepreneurial mindset, making it more applicable to survivors experiences. To further support survivor-owned businesses, we facilitated a professional photoshoot for Entrepreneurship Incubation clients, providing high-quality headshots. Expanded partnerships, such as a financial literacy workshop with BlackRock, further strengthened client access to economic resources.This year, Restore also launched a career development service designed for survivors seeking career advancement, promotions, or higher education. Clients participated in monthly career coaching, workshops, and a peer-supported life skills and career workbook covering topics such as emotional intelligence and overcoming impostor syndrome. Additionally, direct financial assistance was provided to support survivors pursuing further education or professional certifications. These efforts have resulted in measurable success: 92% of entrepreneurship training graduates reported increased entrepreneurial self-efficacy, 64% of job placement clients secured employment within six months at an average hourly wage of $20.90, exceeding the NYC minimum wage of $16.00. Most importantly, 100% of job placement and entrepreneurship graduates are no longer being trafficked, demonstrating the life-changing impact of economic stability in the survivor journey.ImpactIn January 2024 Restore released its annual impact report to the anti-trafficking field, Spotlight on Direct Service Gaps, which explores where the gaps in services for adult survivors of trafficking are the worst, why they exist, and the actions that can be taken to close them. This in-depth report combines data from a survey of Restore core service enrollees, data on available services by geography based on the National Human Trafficking Hotline's public referral directory, and data from interviews with two survivors and six service provider organizations. The report was shared with 570 professionals at nonprofit service providers, law enforcement organizations, federal and state government agencies, and private foundations across the country, as well as with close to 7,800 Restore supporters.Restore continued to assess organizational impact in two ways: using the Freedom Index (FI) framework which measures participants progress toward freedom in five domains while they are enrolled at Restore (housing stability, job security, living wages, mental well-being, and perception of safety), and executing a quarterly client satisfaction survey (CSS). In 2024, 78% of participants experienced improvement in their overall FI scores from intake at Restore to the 12-month mark, and 72% experienced improvement in their overall FI scores from the 12- to the 24-month mark. Restores enrollment in the Listen4Good client satisfaction measurement capacity-building program has helped streamline CSS questions and enabled benchmarking against othe