Senior loses sleep for a good cause
WILMORE, KY—Laura Meyers occasionally receives phone calls in the middle of the night, but she doesn’t mind the interrupted sleep. The senior is a volunteer for the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center.
Meyers, a social work major, completed three different practicums for her major. She has worked for the Center for Women and Children, the Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center and the Human Trafficking Task Force.
As part of her practicum at the rape crisis center, Meyers was on call from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. a few nights per week. During this time, she would answer the Hotline, counsel victims of sexual assault, meet her clients at the hospital and help them through the process of counseling and health care. Meyers has continued to volunteer with the center even after completing her practicum. “I loved being able to be there for them,” she said.
This semester, she has been working with the Human Trafficking Task Force. (Trafficking means victims provide labor or services through force, fraud or coercion). This organization assists the victims of human trafficking, helping to find immediate housing, clothing, food and long-term counseling. They also work with the FBI and local police to prosecute the traffickers. A 2007 study by the University of Kentucky found as many as 69 cases of human trafficking in Kentucky. The study reported that immigrants as well as U.S. citizens were trafficked.
“Laura Meyers embodies the values of Christian social work in the way she engages the world’s broken places to bring healing to broken hearts,” said Steve Dawson, assistant professor of social work and program director.
After mission trips to India and the Dominican Republic, Meyers became passionate about her work with trafficking and sexual assault victims after seeing “girls as young as 12 being lined up for makeup in order to be prostitutes.”
In addition to her course work and volunteer duties, Meyers also serves as a Spiritual Life Coordinator for the Aldersgate apartments. After graduation, she plans to participate in the World Race, a mission trip around the world.
Released: March 14, 2008
Tagged: features, laura-meyers and social-work
