23 Jan Lives are changing…
I can’t believe it’s only been two months since the REST Emergency Receiving Center (ERC) opened.
So much has happened!
The REST staff are seeing lives changed, women already moving on to longer-term housing, and those who come through their doors being served in so many ways – overnight shelter, support groups, clothing, and connections with medical, mental health, and chemical dependency service providers.
In addition, all seven of the beds in the ERC are full (!!!), and every woman there has experienced an interruption from the sex trade.
Those “interruptions” matter.
Although women sometimes go back to the terrible life they knew (because a totally new, stable life can actually feel disorienting), that life got interrupted while they were at the ERC, and now they know there is a stable, safe place to return to when they’re ready.
After awhile, when the interruptions link together, hope germinates, and a new life – free of sexual exploitation – begins.
Direct from our sisters’ mouth:
REST hosted a Christmas party back in December for the girls and women who have come through their programs. One woman shared how she is staying positive and working toward the goals she identified while staying at the ERC.
She expressed deep gratitude for REST drop-in, the weekly survivor group, for items she received from the Resource Closet and for the Christmas Party. She shared that REST is “(her) family” and is thankful she can continue coming to drop-in as she works toward the life she wants.
THANK YOU for providing “family” for those who need the love, care, and safety that a healthy family provides.
On behalf of the women at the ERC and our whole SAFE team, thank you for linking arms with us to fight commercial sexual exploitation in our state.
We’d love to share this message of hope with others in your circle of influence. Please contact us at the email below to make that happen so together we can bring more hope, life, and family to our sisters in need.
Happy New Year!