My Nonprofit Reviews

You are correct! There are wonderful programs around the world. A mix of professionals as well as former sex workers, I believe is best. The seed money for VV was given by the Sister’s of Charity of St. Joe or Leavenworth. They recruited A survivor of the industry for the job.

There was an article in the KC Star about it and the woman was looking for help with fundraising and developing the program. It was modeled after a progressive movement called “The Sage Project in San Francisco. It was on my heart to jump in head first. I started as a volunteer primarily focusing on public speaking, fundraising and collaboration. It was too big of a project for one employee so I wrote my first grant ever to cover my salary for the year. VV took a whole community, along with countless hours of volunteers time, cooperation and coordination of government judicial system and jails, many volunteers, The Community Action Network and donations financially and in kind. Leaders in the police force and judges, the ministerial alliance, other human services to band together and make it happen. Under the brilliant mentorship from Rev Lee Chairamonte and the kindness of the Independence Boulevard Christian Church, we were provided an amazing in-kind space off Independence Ave. & Gladstone. This was a collective effort and one that took the knowledge, compassion and time of lots of people, mostly unpaid. I love that the community changed from anger to embracing the women. It was a beautiful thing. I worked there for several years and the work is much needed.


No one is sure why The woman in charge has chosen to take all of the credit and rewrite years of history, but we can relate as she apparently dismisses the many programs across the country and the many people who helped her get where she is today. Although she split from the advisory board and myself in an unprofessional way, I support her endeavors but was cut out of the loop many years ago along with the rest of the crew. Foundoritis skews ones ability to see that it takes a village and that taking credit for singlehandedly doing something is disrespectful and unappreciative to all involved, not to mention untrue. Unfortunately under VV’s leadership, It’s not unique your situation and concern of other programs being shunned as. We all support the work Veronica’s Voice is doing, though we don’t all agree that every woman in the industry is a victim nor should be called one, rather a survivor who is doing the best that she can. It may be it for a drug habit or it may be for her kids. There is no place for judgement or to try to change people. Meeting them where they are and accepting their humanity with compassion was the programs original design, not a religious crusade, which began marginalizing some further. . I see this is an old post but was just discussing this with one of the critical women involved in the formation of the organization. No one has called the “founders” bluff as far as I am aware. This was 15 years ago, I’m not upset for myself..more so for all of the volunteers who have been shadowed in her glory.

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