Photo credit: Maine Morning Star
Preble Street’s work is never done in isolation. We are continuously making connections with other social service providers and nonprofits to better serve clients and the needs of the community. This month, we are highlighting a key partner of Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Services, MECASA.
The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA) works to support survivors of sexual violence and to help prevent future harm. For over 40 years, they have provided guidance and funding for Maine’s sexual assault support centers, which offer services to people impacted by all forms of sexual violence. These centers support survivors in communities across the state by answering the free, confidential Statewide Sexual Assault Helpline, engaging in crisis advocacy, offering legal and medical advocacy, supporting long-term healing, and teaching prevention education.
MECASA also leads statewide efforts to improve how systems respond to survivors, working to pass policies that focus on safety, healing, and accountability.
“Whether we’re supporting advocates, helping shape laws, advising on best practices, or working with state agencies, our goal is to make sure survivors are supported and heard,” says Carlie Fischer, Systems Advocacy Coordinator at MECASA.
With a shared commitment to supporting survivors of trafficking and exploitation, Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Services and MECASA often collaborate to ensure survivors receive the support they need at an individual and systems level.
“MECASA has been a critical part of the anti-trafficking movement here in Maine,” shares Hailey Virusso, Preble Street Anti-Trafficking Services Director. “Their statewide lens and commitment to survivors informs their ability to create systemic change, creating a safer and more just community. Our work is deeply intertwined with theirs, advocating in tandem for both prevention strategies to end the conditions that perpetuate trafficking & intervention strategies to support people currently in need.”
MECASA’s Human Trafficking Emergency Fund has provided low-barrier cash assistance that allows Preble Street caseworkers to help survivors with urgent needs like rent, car repairs, medication, baby and child supplies, and transportation. MECASA also convenes the Maine Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Network, which brings together partners from across the state, including Preble Street, to improve coordination and services.
“When people ask what I do for work, they almost always say something like, ‘That must be so hard!’,” says Carlie. “And it can be — but there’s also so much joy in walking alongside people as they survive on the other side of trauma. That’s not to ignore the deep pain violence causes or the very real impacts survivors often carry, but we are all more than the worst things that have happened to us. It’s an honor for me — and for the advocates who work directly with survivors every day — to support people as they define what survivorship means for themselves, and to meet them wherever they are on that journey.”
Thank you, MECASA!
