Mary Frances Bowley is the President/Founder of Wellspring Living, an organization fighting childhood sexual abuse and exploitation since 2001. She has been a leader in bringing the fight against child sex-trafficking to Atlanta and is a founding member of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force. Mary Frances was appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Domestic Violence in 2010. She was awarded the Martin Luther King Community Service Award and the AKA Humanitarian Award. She is also the author of A League of Dangerous Women, The White Umbrella, and Make It Zero.
Wellspring Living is devoted to safeguarding and empowering domestic sex trafficking victims and those at risk to develop the courage to move forward and the confidence to succeed. Through life-giving residential and community-based programs, girls and young women are provided the opportunity to live and dream again.
Wellspring Living also mentors aftercare program leaders and staff along their journey to establish residential programs aimed at helping victim survivors heal and pursue their dreams. Several aftercare home leaders in Pennsylvania, including Jen Sensenig, have participated in Wellspring Living’s mentorship program and/or training sessions.
During her interview with Jen at the Harbor aftercare home in Lancaster, Mary Frances described some of the lessons that she and her staff learned along the way as they served survivors over the years–lessons that have shaped the programs offered today. In addition, she shared compelling arguments and data around the costs to society if long-term care residential services are not available to survivors.
It is clear how much Mary Frances cares deeply for the girls and women, like Gabby Humphries, who have become life-long members of the Wellspring Living “family” as well as for those like Jen, who are also passionate about, and dedicated to, serving survivors along their journeys to restoration.
