Inspired by a North Texas nonprofit creating second chances for exploited women and girls, employees of Dallas-based ORIX Americas has announced one of its largest annual grants. As the beneficiary of ORIX Foundation’s biggest annual fundraising drive, New Friends New Life has received a $153,335 grant from the financial services company’s employee-led foundation.
“We were truly moved by the challenges these exploited women and girls face, and New Friends New Life has created a safe, smart and successful way of helping them rebuild and recreate their lives after leaving the sex trade,” said Joshua Mayfield, executive vice president and director for the ORIX Foundation and managing director of Alternative Investments for ORIX.
ORIX Foundation selected New Friends New Life as the recipient of its annual holiday drive last fall. Employees led the drive by raising $88,810 from their own ranks and the business community, including $10,000 from the holiday drive sponsor Wollmuth, Maher and Deutsch LLP. ORIX Foundation contributed $50,000 to the effort, and ORIX Americas rounded out the drive by contributing $64,525 to support the cause backed by its employees.
“Our partnership with ORIX Foundation is allowing us to provide comprehensive services that restore and empower formerly trafficked teen girls and exploited women and their children,” said Katie Pedigo, executive director of New Friends New Life. “Because of this generous donation, more women and children will overcome backgrounds of abuse, addiction, poverty and limited opportunities, and take control of their lives to create a brighter future.”
Monies from the grant will provide trafficked teen girls and sexually exploited women and their children access to education, job training, interim financial assistance, mental health and spiritual support. It is estimated that 400 girls are trafficked each night and $99 million is spent on the commercial sex industry in Dallas (The Polaris Report; Urban Institute study for the Department of Justice.)
In 2014, New Friends New Life served more than 1,100 women and their children by providing counseling and casework management, childcare and child education programs, and a therapeutic prevention program involving sexual abuse recovery at the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center and Letot Girls’ Center. With ORIX’s support, the organization hopes to reach even more victims.
About ORIX Foundation
ORIX Foundation is a charitable foundation sponsored and managed by ORIX Americas and its employees to advance education, strengthen communities and improve lives. The foundation awards direct grants to not-for-profit organizations and matches the charitable contributions and fundraising of each ORIX Americas employee up to $10,000 each year. Since it was founded in 2009, ORIX Foundation has committed $5.8 million to nonprofit organizations primarily in ORIX Americas’ headquarters region of North Texas. For information, visit www.orixfoundation.org.