Combining Art and Heart: How Shana Pederson Helps Human Trafficking Victims

Nearly 15 years ago, Shoshana “Shana” Pederson found a way to combine her two passions: art and community service. She founded the 501(c)(3) organization Life Preservers Project, which harnesses the arts and law to help ameliorate human trafficking abuses in the United States. In addition to being Morgan Lewis’s manager of eData recruiting, Shana is also the Life Preservers Project’s programs director and art teacher. She shared a bit more about the program with us.

Tell me about the Life Preservers Project.

Life Preservers Project is a nonprofit arts and education collective that was founded in 2009 to raise funds and awareness for human trafficking victims and survivors in the New York tristate area. We have combined the local arts and legal communities to raise funds, that we in turn donate to direct services agencies like GEMS-Girls and others that directly serve trafficking victims. We also host educational and CLE-based webinars meant to help raise awareness, educate the legal community, and provide ways for participants to directly help with the cause.

In the last few years, we saw an opportunity to expand who and how we help through a trauma-informed art program and a growing presence in South Florida. This year, we are committing time and resources to developing harm reduction and youth criminal justice initiatives along with continued outreach to unhoused trans youth and other youth in the foster system, as they are historically the most at risk.

These birds were painted by a client at New Alternatives who swore they could not paint. The smile that grew on their face as they painted will stay with me for life.

How has it evolved over the years?

I was always aware of labor trafficking and sex trafficking—it is part of the fabric and history of New Mexico, where I was raised. But it became personal to me in 2008 when I was approached by a friend to donate a painting to a fundraiser for Restore NYC, which was just getting off the ground as one of the few halfway houses dedicated to trafficked people in New York City. We did not raise much that night in Bushwick, but it sparked an idea in me. Tapping my network of artist friends, we hosted our first large fundraiser and art auction in 2010. We have grown substantially since that time, and continue to hold annual fundraisers that are largely attended and sponsored by the legal community.

But I knew that art had the power to do more than raise money for the nonprofit. It was always my dream, my mission to create a trauma-informed art program that would empower survivors. There is a wealth of research showing how art therapy helps victims of domestic violence and sex abuse, but little to no research of how it could be used to help trafficking victims. I spent three years at Seton Hall researching and creating a curriculum while I earned my MPA.

Shana Pederson showcases an incredible art auction donation from noted Long Island artist duo Jude and Val Lobasso.

What has your work on the project given you personally?

A sense of humility and awareness I never thought possible. These young people are so resilient, smart, powerful, and vibrant. The hope and endurance that they have is incredibly inspiring. And the outpouring of support from the community for this work has restored my faith in humanity even in the worst of times. We’ve helped raise awareness about the pervasiveness of human trafficking and have seen offshoot initiatives take form and push for real change. People now know that safe harbor laws, victims’ rights laws, and harm reduction are possible. It is gratifying to see people act, speak up, and fight for change.

How has the firm supported your work with this program?

The firm supports me in many ways. Tess Blair is an incredible artist in her own right and has shared her stunning rainbow quilling work for our auction. Scott Milner has taken more than one pie to the face at our fundraisers, and Yaneeke Samuels has been critical part of the organization for years. Our eData team has come together to buy toys for children of the survivors, and this year we put together care packages for unhoused New Yorkers as part of the harm reduction initiative. The firm has also always allowed me the time and space to curate our art auction events.

What is your advice for others who want to get involved?

Working with victims of this horrific crime can feel daunting, but there are many ways to help—with your hands or your mind. We are always looking for individuals willing to research hot topics or new legislation and to draft articles we can post on our site, or those looking to participate in CLE webinars and share what they learn.

There is a tremendous amount of misinformation out there about labor trafficking, supply chains, sex trafficking, and the billion-dollar international trafficking industry. Those stories have harmed the fight in immeasurable ways. So even just sharing good information helps more than you know.

This young resident uses papyrus because her poetry is worthy of only the best scrolls.”