We love what we do at A Way Out and we love seeing lives transformed. But the hard truth is that we cannot expect to keep going without the support of people outside of the charity. We hope that you have caught something of the dream that we have to change lives in Stockton and if so maybe you could give a little to make this dream a reality.
When Katie was eleven, she lived in a home where she witnessed domestic violence daily. Maybe due to this neglect, at the age of 13, she was exposed to a paedophile, who raped her.
At 14 the effect of the constant violence and trauma began to affect Katie's behaviour and she became "problematic" in school. At 15 Katie began drinking, smoking and cutting herself. She left school early without any qualifications. When her dad began to turn the violence that her mum had suffered onto her, she ran away. By 19, Katie was living in a hostel.
Because of her vulnerability, older men began to groom her for sex. She was offered attention and love and she responded by giving them what theyv wanted. One of these men introduced her to drugs. Katie is now addicted to drugs. She is 20 years old and tonight she will sell her body for sex.
Today there is a call to act! We must begin to restore hope to the hopeless, so that Katie will have a very different future from their past. Today Katie needs a friend.
Will you become a friend to Katie and support the work of A Way Out?
Katie's story represents hundreds of girls trapped in addiction, poverty and abuse. There is a way out BUT we can't do it without your support.
£6 a month Provides a street safety programme for a girl caught in prostitution.
£13 a month Helps keep a young person in education
£19 a month Reaches one at risk woman or young person
£100 Could help pay for a one day personal development programme for a young man
£230 Could pay for a youth outreach programme for one week
You can give regularly by downloading a form from our website and sending it back to us at The Gate, 1-2 The Riverside, Castlegate Quay, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1BZ.
