Asur

“We did this work before we had any federal funding and we will find a way to continue to do it.” — quote yesterday from Lynn Sanchez, the director of the human trafficking program at Lifelink, after a pause in federal grants threatened her victim aftercare program.
Today, the White House cancelled the grant freeze after it caused widespread confusion. However, the executive order requiring agencies to find out if funded programs promote diversity, equity and inclusion remains in place.
What will mean for programs like LifeLink which help transgender trafficking victims?

Over the course of the last few months donations have come in from a variety of sources across the city which AsUR has put toward creating gifts for the women that we serve. AsUR often hands out necessities such as tampons, pads, hygiene items, and condoms to women who are living on the streets of Albuquerque, but for the holidays we try to focus on giving a gift that is meaningful and fun, and that makes our ladies feel a little more normal during the gift giving season.
This year we received donations of handmade purses from the Hip Stitch as well as backpacks and waterbottles from one of our sister organizations, A Light In The Night, in which we put things like coloring and word each books, colored pencils, candy, hot chocolate packs. We also got candy, first aid kits, and other items from The Kindness Project. Along with makeup that we have been saving up from our donations, we created about 50 backpacks and bags filled with goodies to give away for Christmas along with the Bad Guy List.
This could not have been possible without our many volunteers who assembled the bags, and the many organizations and sources who contributed these items. A kind thanks to all who contributed this season.

We basically are just giving away beads and vintage 1980s jewelry tomorrow.
The reason: We don’t have the expertise or the time to use it all.
So, it’s all up for grabs for free at our Jewelry Jamboree tomorrow from 1-3 pm at Quirky Used Books, 120 Jefferson St NE.
If you want to hang out with us and fix some of the broken pieces — which you can take home or we can give out to women on the street —that would be great. Otherwise, it’s first come first serve.
Donations welcome, but not required.