Chief’s Gala Gives Victims Lifeline

A sex trafficking survivor thanked the people who helped her escape a life of victimization at the Chief’s Gala in support of Victim Services Toronto.

“The support of Victim Services was essential in helping me severe the trauma bond and escape this cycle of trafficking,” Cassandra Harvey told an audience of 1,500 people at the Beanfield Centre Nov. 28, supporting the fundraising to help victims of crime and sudden tragedy. “They were my advocate, my lifeline and still are. At first, they met me after filing a police report and arranged for food, a hotel room and a safe space. Their funds helped me buy clothes for myself and my girls. They came with me when I had to describe what happened, provided a therapy dog to protect me from being re-traumatized and arranged for me to access no-cost ongoing therapy. They made me what I had long needed, a plan.”

Harvey faced repeated abuse growing up in foster care and later as a young adult coerced into becoming a sex worker.

“I had zero idea what human trafficking was or looked like,” Harvey said. “Poor and living in a trap house, I was targeted again. When you have nothing, it is easy to become a victim and a repeated one.”

She finally introduced to Victim Services Toronto, a non-profit agency provides a lifeline for over 18,000 victims annually.

Thanks to their help she is taking back control of her life and raising two girls.

“Today, I am reclaiming my spirt, my finances and my life,” she said. “I am a proud and protective mom of two bright and happy little girls.”

Harvey is studying Criminology and Law at York University where she founded a Women in Law Student Association.

“My dream is to become a lawyer and fight for those who need help,” she said. “And I want to keep sharing my story, especially if it can reach younger men who may be on the road to toxic masculinity or destined to gang violence. I want human trafficking and its personal impact to be more widely understood.”

Chief Myron Demkiw thanked Harvey for sharing the story of her darkest days.

“It takes a lot of courage to talk openly about the most difficult period of your life in front of a crowd like this,” he noted. “Your strength and resilience inspire all of us. The work that you do now to help other survivors of human trafficking is so remarkable. We are all very grateful that you are here with us this evening. Thank you for having the courage of sharing your story with us.”

Victim Services Toronto is a multi-service agency providing crisis response, trauma and support services to victims of crime and sudden tragic circumstances 24 hours a day. 

Supervised by crisis counsellors, volunteers provide crisis intervention and referrals, assist on the telephone or attend the scene as requested and also help with fundraising and other community outreach initiatives.

Those subjected to crime and sudden tragic circumstances can access crisis and support services.

“The fact that we can rely on organizations like Victim Services offers a sense of relief,” added Demkiw. “Knowing that there are good people out there, ready to step in during and after investigations makes a world of difference. Our members know they can count on Victim Services for their immediate help and expertise day and night.”

Depending on the financial support of entrepreneurs and philanthropists, the Chief thanked FGH Brands co-founder Sam Ajmera and his family who donated an unprecedented $500,000 to Victim Services.

“This money will help so many people, and it will quite literally save lives,” Chief Demkiw said. “This is what makes Toronto so great: all you amazing people ready to step up.”

There were another two significant personal contribution of $100,000 by Harry Lebovic and Rob McEwan, making it a record year.

The annual gala is presented by major sponsors Loblaws and Onx and is made possible by several other sponsors and partners.

Last year’s gala raised over $880,000. Since its inception in 2008, nearly $5.5 million has been raised.

VST Executive Director Carly Kalish is proud of the practical support and tangible hope the organization offers to those whose lives have been shattered by crime.

“Like hate filled vandalism at religious schools, the young girl who wakes up in an unfamiliar bed, drugged and assaulted, a teenager whose only parent was gunned down in their home and the mother of three who flees horrific abuse with nothing but a plastic bag holding her children’s belongings,” she said. “These are our neighbors, our family members and our community.”

Kalish shared the stories of two young girls to demonstrate VST’s positive impact on victims.

“Alicia fell in love with a guy she met in her hometown of Montreal,” she said. “He promised to take care of her. They would build a life together and start a family. Instead, she was sex trafficked, exploited and tormented in hotels for months across hundreds of miles. Eventually she suffered a gunshot wound fired by a “John” in a hotel room. As she was being discharged from the hospital, the police called our case workers to meet Alicia. She was in agonizing pain, left with nothing but the clothes on her back and no idea where she was or why. Far from her family and anything comfortable or familiar she remained bewildered and alone.

“For hours, our team stayed by her side, helping her begin to process the unimaginable. All she wanted was to get home. That night, the staff secured her safe housing and police protection, allowing her the comfort to rest for the first time in months. The next day, we arranged her flight back to Montreal. Reunited with her mother was the first step in Alicia reclaiming her life that had been stolen.”

Yasmin, said Kalish, was relentlessly harassed online by someone sharing explicit photos of her to family and friends. 

“These pictures depicted her father sexually abusing her,” she added. “She was just 11 years old. When she was referred, Yasmin had already been hospitalized three times for attempted suicide. The shame and pain were too much to bear. One afternoon, she told her case worker that she was heading to a bridge by her school to end her life. Her case worker stayed on the phone and, with the coordination of Toronto police, tracked down her location and called for immediate help.  That day, Victim Services Toronto saved Yasmin’s life. Our team didn't just talk her back. They showed her a path forward. You see, sometimes hope isn't just an emotion. It’s a lifeline thrown at exactly the right moment.”

Last year, VST responded to 18,000 crisis calls.

“That's not just a number,” added Kalish. “That is 18,000 stories like Alicia's and Yasmin's, 18,000 moments where darkness threatened to overwhelm light. As crime grows in our city, so does the number of victims. Those that are thrust into a brutal reality and forced to confront unfathomable obstacles and complexities.  But they don’t have to face it alone.

“In our darkest moments, we don't need empty promises. We need a compass. We need a bridge to stability. We need people who will walk beside us until we can walk on our own again. That's what Victim Services Toronto does. We do not just respond to crises. We transform victims into survivors.”

The gala is VST’s major fundraiser.