Grants and Contributions:

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Title:

Project Recover

Agreement Number:

23129

Agreement Value:

$158,500.00

Agreement Date:

Oct 14, 2022 - Mar 31, 2024

Description:

Project Recover advocates with creditors on behalf of human trafficking survivors, with the goal of eliminating their fraudulently incurred debt. One key strategy of traffickers is financial abuse, which results in two forms: coerced debt and identity fraud of victims. Expenses linked to trafficking activity are put in victims’ name and associated with a credit card or bank account. Project Recover will provide a summary report to all creditors and request the removal of the survivor’s debt liability and any references to it on their creditor report. Survivors have the option to work with their own “Personal Financial Coach”. The intervention has volunteers from the financial services sector who provide survivors with budgeting, money management and credit skills. Debt removal and coaching will assist survivors to access housing, pursue employment and education opportunities. Project Recover will move into Victim Services Toronto and allow clients to work directly with a Survivor Peer Advocate trained in counseling and trauma. Richard Dunwoody will continue to lead the financial advocacy area and Victim Services Toronto will work directly with the clients. Together they will build compelling cases with proper documentation for all survivor clients.

Organization:

Public Safety Canada

Expected Results:

Raise awareness of fraudulent debt experienced by human trafficking victims in the financial sector, social services sector, and survivors themselves. The project is expected to reach 250 financial sector institutions, 30 social service providers (Victim Services Toronto partners and networks across Canada), and 500 survivors. 2.Improve knowledge sharing among financial institutions, social service providers, and survivors around fraudulent debt and the debt relief process. 3. Increase collaboration between Project Recover, Victim Services Toronto, financial institutions, and other social service providers resulting in 500 human trafficking survivors having increased access to compassionate, confidential, trauma-informed and cost-free services to have their fraudulent debt to regain their independence. This will result in 500 survivors being relieved of their debt allowing them to access housing, employment/education opportunities and to move on with their life. 4. Increase collaboration with financial sectors volunteers resulting in 100 survivors gaining budgeting, money management, credit skills, and improved confidentiality practices to facilitate a debt-free or debt-managed future.

Location:

Toronto, Ontario, CA M5G 2J3

Reference Number:

088-2022-2023-Q3-00076

Agreement Type:

Contribution

Report Type:

Grants and Contributions

Recipient Type:

Not-for-profit organization or charity

Recipient's Operating Name:

Services aux victimes de Toronto

Recipient's Legal Name:

Victim Services Toronto

Program:

(CPCSOC) Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime

Program Purpose:

CPCSOC supports initiatives, research, partnership building, specialized police services, projects and programs to increase knowledge, raise awareness and/or help advance efforts to combat serious and organized crime, through funding allocations to eligible recipients