Oklahoma City nonprofit raises funds to serve human trafficking survivors
by Staff Reports
The Dragonfly Home, a metro-area nonprofit that helps human trafficking survivors, is holding its third annual “Drive for Dragonfly” fundraiser.
Dragonfly operates Oklahoma’s only state-certified human trafficking crisis center and is working to open a sex trafficking shelter in Oklahoma City.
Since receiving state certification from the Attorney General’s Office in November 2016, Dragonfly has served more than 300 victim-survivors of sex and labor trafficking, and fielded more than 3,000 calls to its 24-hour helpline.
The fundraising effort is led by Maddie McNeill, a recent University of Oklahoma graduate, and Rebecca Jakopin and Shary Bouvette, two current OU students.
McNeill said she was inspired to start Drive for Dragonfly while studying social work.
“I wanted to uncover human trafficking and raise awareness that people are trafficked every single day here in Oklahoma,” she said. “The human trafficking survivors getting help at The Dragonfly Home are real people who have gone through real trauma — awful, unspeakable things that people should never have to go through.”
In 2017, the fundraising campaign raised more than $7,500. In 2018, the campaign raised more than $17,000.
Through Dec. 31, Drive for Dragonfly participants create a personalized fundraising page through the nonprofit’s website and share the link on social media. Participants also wear a temporary tattoo every day in December as a symbol of Drive for Dragonfly.
“The Drive for Dragonfly leaders chose a temporary tattoo to represent the ‘branding’ that traffickers often use to demonstrate control over the person they are trafficking,” said Whitney Anderson, a co-founder and the executive director of Dragonfly. “At Dragonfly, we stand against the idea that human beings are for sale. Our temporary tattoos for Drive for Dragonfly declare that everyone deserves ‘A Future of Freedom.’”
Those interested in participating in Drive for Dragonfly may visit www.thedragonflyhome.org/drive to learn more and sign up.
Those interested in donating toward participants’ campaigns may do so at www.thedragonflyhome.org.
For questions, email info@thedragonflyhome.org.