Professional dancer and Jeffrey Epstein survivor Jess Michaels shared her story at an event in St. Joseph Thursday evening. She was there to advocate for an organization that’s desperately in need of funding, as federal grants for domestic violence and sexual assault services dwindle.
Caring Connection in Benton Harbor began its fiscal year Thursday with a 57% reduction in its funding. The Empowered Voices fundraiser aimed to raise crucial funds.
Guest speaker Michaels says she was raped by Epstein in 1991, when she was 22 years old. The disgraced financier died in jail in 2019. By then he was a convicted sex offender awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Michaels now shares her story to raise awareness.
“Getting to talk to people in their communities, I feel like I'm able to make an impact to show them that this is actually really relatable. You know people that have been sexually abused," she said.
Michaels said organizations like Caring Connections are a crucial resource for survivors, especially in the aftermath of an assault.
She added that she wants to use Epstein’s name to raise awareness and funds for survivors and the organizations that help them.
”I'm not the one that should be ashamed. And Jeffrey Epstein did a lot of evil stuff with that name. I plan on changing this tragedy with his name.”
Caring Connection CEO Robin McGinnis said the event was designed to uplift the voices of survivors like Michaels and show donors why organizations like Caring Connection matter.
"There’s multiple reasons we’re having tonight’s event," she said. "One is to highlight the needs of survivors. Bringing Jess Michaels here was important for us whether she's an Epstein survivor or not, which she is. But it's really about, people need to understand what sexual assault and domestic violence is.”
McGinnis says the organization was hoping to raise $40,000 at the event, as a step toward closing its budget gap.
