When sexual assault victims seek medical attention and rape kits are performed, those women, men and children are asked to surrender their clothing for DNA evidence. Once clothing has been surrendered, the traumatized victim has nothing else to wear home but a hospital gown…only adding insult to injury. Lisa Blanchard founded the Grateful Garment Project to help restore dignity to victims by providing new clothing, food, grooming supplies and other vital resources to Sexual Assault Service Providers throughout the State of California via 6 core programs:

• Resource Closets for hospitals and rape facilities
• Resources for safe house and shelters for trafficking victims and sexually exploited children
• Emergency backpacks for Law Enforcement for human trafficking victims and children
• Gift cards for youth to encourage follow up appointments
• Gift cards for clients to purchase clothing for court appearance
• Improve substandard service provider facilities

Lisa J. Blanchard is the Executive Director and Founder of Grateful Garment Project. As founder, Lisa has been the guiding force and visionary of The Grateful Garment Project. Lisa’s unique combination of experience in nonprofit, customer service, law and management produces the creative and conceptual leadership required to bring The Grateful Garment Project to the State of California and beyond. She has dedicated significant amounts of time to working with people not only professionally, but also in a volunteer capacity. Lisa holds an AS in Business, a BS in Human Services and a Masters in Nonprofit Administration. It is her vision that no victim of sexual assault ever experience further suffering due to lack of resources.