Vancouver's PACE organization provides crucial support to survival sex workers, but the organization itself has run out of funds and can only continue operations through December 8, 2011. This is alarming to me for two specific reasons:
1) Although other organizations catering to survival sex workers exist and do amazing things, the PACE organization is comprised of former sex workers who have a working knowledge of occupation-specific issues.
2) Women and men who engage in sex work for survival are vulnerable to be coerced into acts that compromise their safety (such as not using a condom) and that they are not willing to perform. PACE offers a range of services designed to empower these sex workers, and for me the disappearance of the organization heralds a vast decrease in its beneficiaries' safety.
I realize this isn't the happiest subject for discussion, but PACE isn't dead yet! Their plight resonates with me, and I hope will resonate with other SPs on the board. I've been thinking, and I know of a way to help.
If SPs are willing, a client could donate up to the entire cost of a session to PACE online, and then bring the receipt to his SP, who could discount him the amount donated. I know it's not perfect, but there are other arrangements that will work.
Given that Christmas/Festivus/The Season approaches, I think it would be amazing if this community could unite to see how much we could raise for PACE! If other SPs are interested in raising funds, I think we should see what we can accomplish by, say, December 7, and then have a potluck to celebrate.
Thanks for your attention, everybody!
1) Although other organizations catering to survival sex workers exist and do amazing things, the PACE organization is comprised of former sex workers who have a working knowledge of occupation-specific issues.
2) Women and men who engage in sex work for survival are vulnerable to be coerced into acts that compromise their safety (such as not using a condom) and that they are not willing to perform. PACE offers a range of services designed to empower these sex workers, and for me the disappearance of the organization heralds a vast decrease in its beneficiaries' safety.
I realize this isn't the happiest subject for discussion, but PACE isn't dead yet! Their plight resonates with me, and I hope will resonate with other SPs on the board. I've been thinking, and I know of a way to help.
If SPs are willing, a client could donate up to the entire cost of a session to PACE online, and then bring the receipt to his SP, who could discount him the amount donated. I know it's not perfect, but there are other arrangements that will work.
Given that Christmas/Festivus/The Season approaches, I think it would be amazing if this community could unite to see how much we could raise for PACE! If other SPs are interested in raising funds, I think we should see what we can accomplish by, say, December 7, and then have a potluck to celebrate.
Thanks for your attention, everybody!
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