Happy Fall!

We hope you enjoyed our lovely extended summer

and are embracing the change of weather as we come into the cozy seasons!

PREVENTION VICTORY!

Our SAFE partner who is replicating the My Friends are Not for Sale curriculum received a last minute invitation to present their training to the student body of the Nicya’awii Community School on the Umatilla reservation.

This reservation borders Pendleton, home of the world famous Pendleton Roundup which brings an influx of rodeo fans in excess of 100,000 each year.  As with any large gathering of men with disposable income, the Roundup is a prime location for commercial sexual exploitation and the Elders and educators of the Umatilla Tribe know the risk.

So they asked our partner to present their prevention program as a way to better equip their students.  There were many highlights from the training with 100+ Native American high school students, but perhaps the most significant was the enthusiastic response from community leaders who indicated that they were going to personally introduce our program to other tribal communities across the region which spans vast sections of both Eastern Oregon and Washington.

I bet none of those students got caught up in exploitation this month

at the rodeo because they knew what to watch out for

and how to protect their friends.  Awesome!

INTERVENTION  VICTORY!

Shweta* is 16 and a young momma trying to give her little girl the best life.

She brought her daughter to the Family Expo (put on by a SAFE partner) for some fun on a Saturday morning.  She was drawn to the booth with the princess crowns.  The staff at the booth were talking about “Tricky People” and “Safe Adults” and “Body Safe Rules”.  These are all things she is trying to teach her precious little girl.

The staff crowned Shweta’s little girl and offered Shweta a crown as well.  As they placed the crown on Shweta’s head, they looked her in the eye and said: “You have dignity and worth!  Be kind and have courage!”

That affirmation caused tears to roll down Shweta’s face and she opened up about some “Tricky People” that had entered her life, and she signed up right then and there for services so she could have people walk with her from victim, to victory.

Shweta got seen, affirmed, and reminded that she is a princess

(which mom’s don’t hear very often).

And now she is out of the life of exploitation!  Awesome!

RESTORATION VICTORY!

Cadence* had been violently trafficked on the streets of Washington.  Prison did not feel like relief though, as she continued to experience unwanted aggression toward her from other inmates.

When she saw a flyer that intrigued her, she chose to participate in the exploitation screening.  Talking with an advocate from a SAFE partner about her experiences gave Cadence courage to think about her upcoming release.

She expressed the types of resources she knew she needed in order to pursue recovery from trafficking after release – but she did not know how to find those resources.  The advocate was able to provide connections to exactly the type of support Cadence desired after her release, so she could pursue healing, wholeness and a new freedom in life.

Cadence needed to be seen and known,

and without our SAFE partner’s work in the prisons,

she would have been missed and likely re-trafficked

as soon as she was released.

So grateful her life will be radically different instead!

*not their real names

As great as these victories are,

we know there are:

more youth who need prevention

more victims who want avenues to freedom

and more survivors who want to heal

and get away from their terrible past of exploitation.

Will you invest in their futures?  

We know they are worth it!