It showed “she understood that the way we help the women and the approach that we take is what matters, what works,” says Anna Smith,One25‘s CEO.
Smith watched as Meghan, 37, andPrince Harry, 34, instantly connect with their outreach program during their visit to the charity’s center in Bristol on Friday.
“Our approach to giving unconditional love and support is what builds trust — and how that works and helps them move on,” Smith says.
Meghan Markle.REX/Shutterstock
TOBY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty
“At the bottom of all this is self-esteem and self worth for the women who may have come from a background of being sexually abused or a life in care and where their families don’t support them in the way they should,” Smith tells PEOPLE.
Smith adds, “They genuinely seemed to care about the women that we work with and it’s great to put the spotlight on them because they’re hidden and misunderstood a lot of the time.”
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The charity looks after around 240 women a year, and about 160 are working on the street at any one time. And they won’t forget how the couple’s visit and Meghan’s gesture made an impact.
“[Meghan] came across to me as a very intelligent woman who sees and cares about what goes on around her and about those who haven’t had the chances in life that everybody else has had — which is true of our women.”
“They were very keen to point out that what we do makes a difference and every day we do this we are making a difference to the lives of women.”
source: people.com
