Missing Persons Advocacy Network
Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) creates awareness for missing persons while offering support to families and friends.
When someone goes missing, research shows at least 12 people are directly impacted – emotionally, psychologically and financially. MPAN provides practical online advice on what to do when someone disappears and partners with key industries to shine a light on the issue and the impact on those left behind.
2019 Pitch
Funds raised: $85,302
100 Australians go missing every day in Australia. While the majority are found and come home, many remain missing long term. At TFN Live Sydney, MPAN pitched for funding to provide trained phone counsellors to support the friends and family of missing people.
The impact…
Just losing sight of your child or loved one for a moment can cause extreme anxiety and a powerful emotional response. So what happens if that moment turns into a day, a week, a month and then years? Whilst most missing people return, there are those that don’t. The Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN) was established to support the ones who are left behind, grappling with the disappearance of their loved ones and the implications and grief that come with it. Speaking at TFN Live Sydney, Loren explained that she understood this experience first-hand and established MPAN to provide support to this previously unsupported group of people.
Loren pitched to trial a phone counselling program, specifically for people who are living with a missing loved one. Thanks to the generosity on the night, funds were raised to work with an expert in the field and train up 33 counsellors and mental health practitioners across Australia. MPAN also made the decision to share this content with other bodies globally and to date have 23 people registered and are receiving counselling support.
“The 23 individuals that registered to receive the counselling sessions of this pilot have a new sense of support, and our community of thousands is aware that this project is forthcoming and the response has been great. Even if it’s not directly taken up, simply knowing that something is happening in this space – that work is being done for this largely forgotten community – means more than you know.” - Loren O’Keeffe, Founder & CEO
Read their impact report
Learn more about Missing Persons Advocacy Network
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