The GIFT Program

Giving the GIFT of a New Path Forward
Our Life Coaches Set the Tone for a New Life that is Healthy and Happy

Supporting Our Resilient Program Participants

Our Life Coaches support and guide participants throughout their recovery from commercial sexual exploitation and work to ensure high risk youth never enter an exploitative relationship. Our youth are between the ages of 11-22. We provide at least one individual face-to-face meeting per week, a weekly educational and/or support group, almost daily contact through texts or by phone, crisis intervention, a paid financial empowerment and pre-employment skill building internship program called GIFT U, and referrals to the resources participants need to achieve their life goals. 

Our GIFT program builds on a strong foundation of providing services to and advocating for sexually exploited youth. In 2002, RYI founded "A Way Back", the only street outreach program designed to encourage and support young women that wanted to leave "The Life" and end their exploitation.

Finding a New Path Forward Together

Our GIFT Life Coaches draw upon their professional, educational, and personal life experiences to develop strong trusting relationships with GIFT youth. They employ a non-judgmental, trauma-informed approach that meets youth wherever they are on the continuum of CSE. Our Life Coaches help youth build and sustain positive connections and relationships and are the glue that often holds together the fragile connection between the youth and the vital services they need to heal and succeed in life. Each GIFT Life Coach carries a caseload of up to eight young people.

What Does CSE Look Like?

Watch "What I've Been Through Is Not Who I Am" to learn more about the commercial sexual exploitation of girls and women.