LOS ANGELES—In line with its company social mission of creating a better world where sex workers and content creators can make awesome careers for themselves in a respectful, safe and uplifting environment, ManyVids announced it is now sponsoring The Cupcake Girls.
The Cupcake Girls is an organization that provides confidential support to those involved in the sex industry as well as those affected by domestic sex trafficking through holistic resources, case management, and after care. They provide nonjudgmental support to empower their clients in their pursuits through respect, resources, and relationships. All of this, plus delicious cupcakes!
ManyVids will be the Silver Sponsor of the Cupcake Girl’s 2020 AVN Cupcake Suite, a safe place for all artists to be pampered and cared for before, during and after the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo.
Get to know The Cupcake Girls and their work better in this interview:
What is The Cupcake Girls and how did it start?
The building blocks of The Cupcake Girls formed when Joy Hoover, a cosmetologist from Michigan, took a position applying makeup at The Adult Entertainment Expo and AVN Awards—the largest adult entertainment convention and award show in the world, hosted annually in Las Vegas. She was inspired by the women she met at this event. After a period of research and preparation, Joy founded The Cupcake Girls tailored to address the unique challenges of people within the sex industry: complicated hours, non-traditional pay structures, limited access to resources, and many other hurdles resulting from commonly associated stigmas.
Our name grew its roots when our founder, Joy, began visiting clubs in Las Vegas while toting a box of pink cupcakes. These pastries were an icebreaker and conversation-starter when offered to sex workers. After being repeatedly referenced as "The Cupcake Girls" during one club visit, we adopted it as our organization's formal name.
In early 2011, The Cupcake Girls was launched and began direct outreach to women working in Las Vegas strip clubs, legal brothels in Nevada, and adult entertainment events sponsored by the adult community. As relationships developed and word spread of the great value The Cupcake Girls were providing to the adult entertainment community, we opened a second chapter located in Portland, Oregon in November of 2011 with the help of a client who moved there and helped pave the way for us.
What are some of the services you offer?
Crisis & Emergency Care, Dental Care, Domestic Violence Care, Financial Aid, GED Preparation, Government Assistance & Welfare Referrals, Individual and Group Counseling, Inpatient Programs, LGBTQ Advocacy, Life Coaching, Medical Care, Mental Health Support, Mentorship and Advocacy, Nutritionist & Dietician Care, Parent & Child Resources, Safe House Connections, Substance Abuse Counseling, Suicide Awareness & Screenings, Tax Assistance, Therapy, Trauma Support, Tutoring, and more.
Why is an organization like The Cupcake Girls needed specifically for sex workers?
Because of the stigma of sex work, the marginalization of people working in the adult industry and the thousands of clients we have worked with we continue to see the need of basic human resources ranging from physical and mental health services to financial and tax assistance. As humans, we all come complete with our own set of needs, obstacles, and strengths. We desire to see our clients empowered by their personal dreams and goals. Through this empowerment, we are fighting to break the stigma and marginalization and build inclusion between the square and adult community.
Why is working with ManyVids exciting and important for you?
We absolutely love that ManyVids prides itself in being an inclusive place where adult workers can fight for equality, celebrate diversity, speak out against serious issues such as violence and abuse perpetrated against performers. The Cupcake Girls align wholeheartedly on these crucial issues, and we can't wait to create even greater change together!
What do you consider some of the major successes of The Cupcake Girls and what goals do you have for the future?
We consider it a huge success when we earn the trust of our courageous clients and get the opportunity to link arms and together pursue their unique needs and goals.
In the last two years alone, we were able to offer almost $900,000 worth of referrals between our incredible partners and our in-house intensive case management providers.
Our goal for the future is building Local for All, the first of its kind community-driven social enterprise and holistic resource center. This project will help us grow and better serve our clients and community with one physical space where folks in need can receive pro-bono and/or low-cost mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, and financial support, and resources. Local for All will be a safe and inclusive space for our clients and the local community to shop, eat, work, and receive services.
How can people get involved if they want to support the work you do?
We are always looking for committed, passionate people who'd like to join our Las Vegas and Portland teams. We offer a wide variety of volunteer positions to fit an array of interests. As small, grassroots non-profit we rely on the generosity of a community of individuals, organizations, and businesses. We are, and always will be, extremely grateful for any form of donation! If you'd like more information on how to get involved or to make a one time or monthly monetary donation you can visit our website at TheCupcakeGirls.org.
