Report: Human trafficking victims harmed by Fresno nonprofit, financial audit needed

Major changes are needed if a Fresno nonprofit that served human trafficking survivors plans to continue operating, according to a program review of Made For Them released this week.

The review was conducted over a period of six months by The Avery Center, a Colorado-based sex trafficking research and survivor services organization, at the request of Made For Them.

The center’s 37-page report, shared with The Bee on Tuesday, follows explosive allegations that led to Made For Them effectively closing earlier this month when its staff positions were eliminated and its board of directors resigned. Its founder, Andrea Shabaglian, recently became board chair after she had to step down as executive director, and has plans to restructure the organization.

Made For Them is now on life support, The Avery Center report states. If many changes aren’t implemented, data shows the organization “will not be able to continue or sustain operations.”

Made For Them’s past actions and lack of trauma-informed training led to “client harm and re-exploitation,” public discord, isolation from resources, and a loss of support and referrals, the report continues. In addition, the center recommends a “full forensic audit” and said it’s concerning that Made For Them was collecting donations while its nonprofit status lapsed.

That financial audit hasn’t happened, said Ashleigh Rocker Greene, its former associate director, and more briefly, its interim executive director. While serving in that position, she filed a report with the California Attorney General’s Office earlier this month, detailed in a story by The Fresno Bee, asking for an investigation “pertaining to illegal solicitation, fraud, deception, theft, misuse of assets, compliance violations of Articles of Incorporation & falsified statements,” and also reported the alleged crimes to the Fresno Police Department. After she was fired, she additionally filed a report with the IRS.

The Avery Center report corroborates many concerns publicly shared by human trafficking survivors in YouTube videos they released in February and March, alleging re-exploitation and wage theft. Some filed wage theft claims earlier this year with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, stating they weren’t paid for a lot of the work they did for the organization, including catering events, and making soap and jewelry that was sold by Made For Them.

The allegations remain under investigation.

Fresno leaders and survivors react to the center’s report

California Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, and his staff are among the strongest supporters of the survivors who spoke out against Made For Them.

“Here we have an independent assessment that says the survivors and whistleblowers were right all along,” Patterson said Tuesday about The Avery Center report. “This is significant confirmation that Made For Them threw flashy fundraisers but actually exploited and revictimized survivors while they were at it – all this with no confirmation of how they spent the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised over the last ten years.”

“The Avery Center is calling for an independent financial audit. I second that, and I sure hope the results would be made public.”

Patterson also held a news conference last week about Made For Them issues following The Bee’s story.

“The results of this report make me feel heard!” Rocker Greene said Tuesday, adding that she recommended many of the same things to Shabaglian prior to filing her whistleblower complaint.

Shabaglian did not respond to requests to comment for this story.

Arien Pauls-Garcia, founder of the Central Valley Thriver Council that shared the videos about survivors’ painful experiences with Made For Them, said her initial reaction to the center’s report was frustration because once again, Shabaglian “was refusing to hear what the community as a whole was trying to share with her.”

She said the report shows “just how damaging this organization has been” to Fresno over the past 10 years, and that Shabaglian should not continue working in the anti-trafficking field.

Pauls-Garcia said she is concerned about Shabaglian stating last week that Made For Them will continue some volunteer operations during its “restructure,” including a street outreach program.

There should be no rebranding and reopening for Made For Them, Pauls-Garcia said.