Thank You For An Amazing 2009 & Happy New Year!

As we come to the end of the year 2009, we are amazed to look back at all that God has accomplished over the past 12 months. He has truly been showing off what He can do through any willing vessel. Beauty From Ashes™ has expanded to greater spheres of influence and God is stretching our tent pegs to affect a greater number of lives than ever before, and we could not have done it without the faithful support of friends like you. Thank you for believing in and partnering with us, allowing us to achieve the following:

AWARENESS & PREVENTION
• Held XXX Ministry and Strip Club Outreach Trainings in Detroit, Daytona, Fort Myers & Las Vegas
• Launched Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and additional Myspace pages for social networking with victims, survivors and over-comers of Commercialized Sexual Exploitation, as well networking with other slavery abolitionists
• Produced 12 Song Private Label CD, Child of God
• Hands That Heal (HTH) Human Trafficking Trainer of Trainer’s certification & was guest speaker in Atlanta. Hosted HTH Training in Fort Myers, FL
• Appearances on local and national television programs including Rod Parsley’s Breakthrough Ministries, Healing Today Show as well as several radio programs

REACH & RESCUE
• Partnered with the Pink Cross Foundation for Outreach in Las Vegas at the AVN porn expo, the world’s largest
• Organized 24 hr prayer for all days of the following porn expos across the nation: AVN, New York and Exxxotica Miami Porn Expos
• Held monthly Strip Club Outreaches to our adopted club, serving meals and distributing gifts that included written, audio and visual forms of the Word of God in addition to beauty supplies and “fluff items”
• Participated in weekly street outreaches to victims of human trafficking and commercialized sexual exploitation where hundreds of names were added to the Lamb’s Book of Life
• Launched FREEdom™ Homes Initiative and established the FREEdom™ Advisory Team
• Initiated National 40 hour fast for porn addicts in the church

RESTORATION
• Provided support through the Rahab’s Hope Fund to survivors of human trafficking across the nation as well as transportation to local residential programs
• Facilitated emergency short term placement and housing as well as long term residential care
• Raised and donated thousands of dollars to local residential treatment program where victims were placed in addition to providing basic care needs; hygiene items, clothing, toiletries, medicines, bibles, journals, etc.
• Provided educational assessment testing, curriculum, enrollment in private schooling, as well as tutoring
• Provided assistance with resumé building, interviewing skills and job placement
• Established 1st Beauty From Ashes™ safe home; the FREEdom™ Home
• Partnered with national organizations to facilitate restoration services to survivors relocation, education, medical and emergency services
• Provided placement and case management services

ADVOCACY
• Established presence in and local partnerships with Lee County Human Trafficking Task Force, Department of Homeland Security Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Lee County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Myers Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations and Licensed Therapists
• Made numerous court appearances on behalf of victims of human trafficking
• Partnered with local and national NGOs, law enforcement, licensed therapists, attorneys, judges, probation officers, Department of Juvenile Justice, health care providers in interest of human trafficking victims
• Accepted invitation to join national campaign, War On Pornography, with leaders such as Focus on the Family, American Family Association, Morality and Decency, Citizens for Community Values and the Witherford Institute

Extra special thanks to the FREEdom™ Advisory Team:
Arnie Coones, Station Manager 89.5 Praise FM
David Caton, President of the Florida Family Association
Roger Gannon, Lindell & Farson, P.A.
Laura Lederer, Former Senior Advisor on Trafficking the United States Department of State
Mary C. Lewis, L.C.S.W., Co-Chair of Lee County Human Trafficking Task Force & Former Executive Director of Our Mother’s Home of Southwest Florida, Inc.
J.D. Mallory, Senior Pastor Naples Assembly of God
Nancy Sampson, Sanibel Community Church & Stonecroft Ministries leader
Steve Siler, Music for the Soul Founder & Executive Director, Producer of Somebody’s Daughter
David Smythe, J.D. Candidate 2010 University of Georgia School of Law
Timothy Snodgrass, D.O. General Medicine Physician
Nola Theiss, Coordinator of Training/Outreach, Esperanza Project, Lee County Human Trafficking Task Force & Executive Director of Human Trafficking Awareness Partnerships, Inc. Patrick Trueman, Former Chief of Child Exploitation & Obscenity Section of the United States Department of of Justice

Additionally, we would especially like to thank Judi Setzer, Esq., Donald Miltner, Yvette Haran, Joe Gonzales and Mike Zeleski for their invaluable service and assistance.

We are very grateful for everyone who has partnered with us. Your involvement has allowed us to make remarkable progress in 2009--and we look forward to greater elevations in 2010. On behalf of the hundreds of women, men and children that now have hope that they too can be over-comers of the sex industry & human trafficking because of your help--thank you. Together we are better and are making a difference.

OUR MISSION:
To prevent, rescue and restore victims of sex trafficking.

OUR PURPOSE:
To educate the community, advocate for the victims, implement reach, rescue and restore programs and provide safe homes where they can go to heal emotionally. mentally, physically and spiritually. These are homes where victims will receive comfort, security, safety, love and learn to become over- comers.

God is passionate about the fatherless, orphans, afflicted & the homeless.

"Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked."
Psalm 82:3-4 NASB

If you'd like to make an end-of-year donation, click HERE to donate securely by credit card or PayPal. Or mail your check to 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907. BFA is a 501c3 non-profit organization and your donation is tax deductible. To receive end of the year tax credit, please make sure your donation is made by December 31st.

In His love and passion to see victims become over-comers,
Steve & Julie Shematz

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries
Where Victims Become Over-Comers
239.939.9218
877.4BFA SOS (423.2767) International Toll Free Help Line
Beauty From Ashes

AWARENESS & PREVENTION • REACH & RESCUE • TEACH & DEMONSTRATE • TRAIN & SEND