OUR PARTNERS IN FREEDOM

Sex trafficking is a big, complex, and dark problem. That’s why we’re especially thankful for supporters who don’t shy away. We’re honored to introduce two of these supporters to you now. Coburn Ventures Community for Change and Matt Scogin are this year’s honorees at the Restore Freedom Gala: Momentum, and recipients of the Restore NYC Partner in Freedom Award.

Coburn Ventures Community for Change (CFC) has become an active partner in growing Restore’s reach and impact. Founder Pip Coburn said he was initially interested in Restore because of the people. Though sex trafficking is a difficult problem, he noticed that Restore was hopeful and not afraid to tell the truth. “As I got to know Restore I just saw how they acted in a very positive and very powerful way. Very human, very caring.” He was hooked. And then he got CFC involved and amazing things started happening.

CFC is made up of philanthropists and world changers who want to tackle big, complicated issues—exactly the kind of community we need. “We need patience,” Pip makes clear. “We have to have a time scale of ending the problem that matches the orientation of the problem. Otherwise people will get discouraged and disheartened.”

Restore has grown tremendously since our founding nine years ago: bigger budget, bigger team, expanded services, hundreds of survivors served, and a material part of that growth can be directly traced back to CFC. Thank you, Pip, for your steady and inspiring leadership in the midst of complexity and darkness.

Matt Scogin has been with Perella Weinberg Partners since 2014 and has been on Restore’s Board of Directors since 2015. He doesn’t find the issue of sex trafficking daunting. Rather, he’s energized. “The issue is so compelling because it often is not talked about and is completely under the radar, inherently in the shadows,” Matt said when asked about why he supports Restore. “To be with an organization whose sole purpose is to bring it out of the shadows and shine a light in a really dark area of our world is a really compelling thing to be involved in.”

Matt is passionate about educating others on how they can get involved in anti-trafficking work, acknowledging that it’s not always simple. “Unlike other big issues it is harder to get involved,” he said. “This is different by nature of what it is. You don’t know how to get involved or what exactly you are supposed to do. [So] it helps to be talking about it and creating conversation about it to add awareness.” A lay pastor at Lower Manhattan Community Church (LMCC), Matt has been instrumental in strengthening our relationship with the church and inspiring its members to join our mission. We’re honored that LMCC is now a key sponsor of the Restore Freedom Gala: Momentum.

If there ever was a time in our country when we need partners like Pip and Matt, it’s this cultural moment. As national conversations about sexual violence continue, it’s imperative that we work hard together to build solutions. It’s never been easy. But supporters like Pip and Matt remind us that we must keep talking about it and we must remain patient. And most importantly, we’re in this work together.