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Friday, June 18, 2010

BFA Partners With Profesional Counseling Center


We are pleased to announce that Discovery Life Center, a ministry of Riverside Church in Fort Myers, FL has entered into partnership together with Beauty From Ashes Ministries. Victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and sex trafficking are in need of professional counseling services. Discovery Life Center will be providing the following specialized services to clients of Beauty From Ashes:

Professional Counseling
Play Therapy
Life Coaching
Support Groups
Theophostic Prayer

"Our vision is that domestic victims will be given the opportunity to receive the comprehensive services they need in order to recover from the trauma and injustices done to them. This partnership will enable us to better provide the recovery services that survivors require and deserve." - Julie Shematz, Founder & CEO Beauty From Ashes

For more information on the Discovery Life Center, CLICK HERE

Together we are better and are making a difference.

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries
Where Victims Become Over-Comers
239.939.9218
877.4BFA SOS (877.423.2767) Toll Free Help Line

Thursday, June 17, 2010

BFA Strip Club OutREACH Report, Trainings & More

PORN HARMS JUNE 15th CAPITOL HILL BRIEFING: “The American Psychiatric Association has added Hypersexual Disorder to the Diganostic and Statistical Manual-5 which will include both sexual addiction and pornography addiction. Pornography may be ingested through your eyes but its impact is not just on your genitals but also on your brain, so it fits the addiction definition perfectly.” READ MORE

STRIP CLUB OUTREACH REPORT: Fort Myers, FL Saturday June 12th BFA delivered and served food to the employees of a local strip club from the locker room. The team, including 2 women from the Miami area (one a sex industry over-comer and the other chairman of the Broward County Human Trafficking Coalition), were able encourage and pray with the majority of employees as they delivered a message of hope, love & truth. To view photos and for more information CLICK HERE.

STRIP CLUB OUTREACHES: We do monthly strip club outreaches on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Our next will be July 10 and we will be delivering gifts as well as food. We need assistance with gift bag assembly for approximately 35 employees. Please contact us if you would like to help.

BFA TRAINING: One of our goals is to equip others to reach, rescue and restore victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and trafficking with the message there is help and a way out. Since 2005, we have been providing training locally and across the United States in the development of this unique type of ministry. Currently we have equipped 27 other organizations and produced a 40+ page national curriculum that covers all aspects of strip club outREACH. Our trainings also utilize other curriculum. Below is a list of trainings we offer:

Human Trafficking - Hearing from the Victims & Addressing Demand
Sex Worker AfterCARE
Street OutREACH
Strip Club OutREACH
XXX OutREACH

TRAINING & OUTREACH TESTIMONIES:
"This was my first time ever in a strip club! ...I'm glad I had no prior expectations about it. So, I just went with the flow. Julie was an amazing leader, covering every detail possible. Helping us to know what to expect, how to act and how to respond in case of an emergency. Also have her husband Steve waiting and praying for us out in the parking lot was such an amazing feeling, knowing that we were being covered in love was great. I have never experienced such an instant warmth and welcoming spirit to the atmosphere as we did here. Even the manager came back and felt comfortable eating and socializing with us. There were no hostilities or negative experiences. Everything that happened was simply all positive. Everything was incredibly beneficial to us individually and even more so for future ministry to take place. I hope we can come back again soon and would love to continue being apart of this incredible atmosphere of love and spiritual growth... my heart is truly committed to this ministry and to working with you much more in the future. God bless you." - Katriiana Juliao, Fort Lauderdale, FL

"Nothing could ever describe what we all felt kneeling at the feet of this precious beautiful daughter of God praying with us with a tender heart for God. I think last night was the best outreach for the Kingdom I have ever been on. These are my sisters as I walked in the darkness with them in those clubs for over 15 yrs. If God can rescue me as wretched, pitiful, blind and lost as I was He can rescue them also. Oh boy can he ever. Thank you Father because I would of never dreamed that you would send me back to the very pit that you yourself snatched me out from." - Shelly Lantz, Miami, FL

For more information and to schedule a training: CLICK HERE

ST PETERSBURG GAY PRIDE PARADE OUTREACH: Saturday, June 26th. This is Florida's largest homosexual event and we are partnering up with Real Orange to reach the lost and to be an eye for local law enforcement for victims of human trafficking. If you're interested in being part of this street outreach, contact Annie Peterson, 239.849.2089 or realorange@realorange.org

PLEASE PRAY WITH BFA: Agree with us that those we have influenced will receive revelation of who God is and who they are in Christ. May they have a desire to read His Word, turn their hearts away from the things of the world and the courage to pursue the journey of inner healing.

theCALL2XXX: Join us for weekly global prayer to abolish slavery and for the organizations reaching, rescuing, restoring and advocating for the victims. Fridays 8-9am EST For more information and prayer guide: CLICK HERE

PRAYER REQUESTS: We care for you and have a team that prays over your every need. Please send them to prayer@beautyfromashes.org

BFA E-NEWSLETTER SIGN UP: CLICK HERE

DONATIONS: We need your help to continue providing awareness, advocacy and reach, rescue and restoration services to victims of commercialized sexual exploitation (CSE). All giving is tax deductible and for $35 or more we will send you our Child of God CD. Please consider becoming a monthly partner or giving a one time gift to partner with us. For secure online donations, CLICK HERE or mail your check, cash or money order to Beauty From Ashes, 5100 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste, 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23

Thank you for your support. Together we are better and we are making a difference.

In His passionate love & service,
Julie Shematz & the BFA FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

War on Illegal Pornography June 15th Capitol Hill Briefing

Thank you to everyone that prayed, called, emailed and faxed your congressmen and representatives encouraging them to attend the June 15th Capitol Hill Briefing on Pornography. Below is the the official press release for the event.

Together we are better and are making a difference!


Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries

****************


Coalition for the War on Illegal Pornography

_______________________________________________________

CAPITOL HILL BRIEFING ON PORNORGAPHY REVEALS BRUTAL, ADDICTIVE NATURE OF TODAY’S INTERNET PORN

Experts describe why federal obscenity laws that prohibit distribution of hardcore obscene material on the Internet must be enforced

Washington, DC (June 16, 2010) – For 90 minutes yesterday, a standing-room-only crowd attended a briefing at the Capitol where researchers and a former pornography actress revealed information on the repulsive and addictive nature of today’s internet porn, and called on the federal government to prosecute the major producers and distributors of obscene material.

“Our efforts today are not partisan because the protection of children, violence against women, addiction and sexual trafficking are not partisan issues. Nor are we here today to quarrel with Attorney General Holder,” said Patrick A. Trueman, former chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, U.S. Department of Justice.

“The Attorney General previously indicated support for the enforcement of obscenity laws. We are asking that the prosecution of obscenity, which seems to be on hold in the Obama Administration, be given a high priority because of the widespread harm we now know that obscene material is causing.”

“Statistics show that 7 in 10 kids have accidentally accessed pornography and 1 in 3 intentionally. Internet pornographers are great innovators and use clever and deceptive marketing tactics to push their drug to anyone and everyone,” said Donna Rice Hughes, Enough is Enough President. “The majority of porn sites have free teaser images and videos on their home pages and do not require any age verification.”

“Howard Stern regularly features pornography on his show, Miley Cyrus, the former Disney star who is a role model to young girls everywhere is photographed for Elle magazine, sprawled on a table wearing S/M gear, and students at Yale University invite pornographers to give talks on campus,” said Dr. Grail Dines, professor of sociology and women’s studies at Wheelock College in Boston. “These simply illustrate how porn has seeped into our every day world and is fast becoming such a normal part of our lives that it barely warrants a mention.”

During Dines’ remarks, several members of the audience were noticeably affected by the repulsive, violent, degrading acts she described to demonstrate that today’s pornography is not traditional Playboy-style images. Dines, the author of a newly released book, “Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked our Sexuality,” described how pornography is the major form of sex education for boys, and as it seeps into mainstream media, for girls as well.

“Bled dry of intimacy, connection and emotion, porn sex is reduced to a technical, plasticized, formulaic generic act that men do to women as a way to demonstrate the power they have over them,” said Dines.

To underscore the impact of pornography on society, Dr. Mary Anne Layden, Director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program, University of Pennsylvania said, “The American Psychiatric Association has added Hypersexual Disorder to the Diganostic and Statistical Manual-5 which will include both sexual addiction and pornography addiction. Pornography may be ingested through your eyes but its impact is not just on your genitals but also on your brain, so it fits the addiction definition perfectly.”

“Adult pornography normalizes sexual harm and provides children visual examples of lack of emotional commitment, unprotected sexual contact, and visual examples of violent rape in many cases,” said forensic pediatrician Dr. Sharon Cooper, University of North Carolina.

“Obscene pornography has NEVER been considered protected material by our U.S. Supreme Court and the porn criminals do not have a right to pollute America with such material,” said Trueman.

Federal obscenity laws prohibit distribution of hardcore obscene material on the Internet, the majority of the pornographic material that is available on the Internet; on cable/satellite or hotel/motel TV, the pay-per-view porn that most cable/satellite companies and hotels carry; and in sexually oriented businesses, porn shops and other retail shops that trade in hardcore porn.

“The U.S. Department of Justice has a criminal section devoted to the prosecution of obscenity with 93 U.S. Attorneys spread throughout the country whose job is to enforce federal law,” said Trueman. “When they enforce obscenity laws, they help establish community standards. The majority of Americans would like to live in a community with high standards.”

To view the briefing online, go to www.youtube.com/user/PornHarms. For additional research and resource information on pornography, visit www.PornHarms.com, www.obscenitycrimes.org and www.SocialCostsofPornography.org.

About The Coalition for the War on Illegal Pornography

The Coalition for the War on Illegal Pornography is an effort associated with the Pro-Family Forum on Pornography, a group of national and regional organizations which collaborate for the purpose of education, strategic planning, and action on the issue of illegal pornography. The group has met on several occasions with the Department of Justice (DOJ) asking for enforcement of the current federal laws prohibiting interstate transportation of illegal pornography.

Media Contact:

Lesley S. Bateman | Design4 Marketing

813-849-0076 ext 106 | Cell: 813-335-7060

Lesley@design4.org


Monday, June 14, 2010

Porn Harms Briefing on Capitol Hill June 15th

Please urge your U.S. representative and senators to attend an important briefing on Capitol Hill aimed at discussing the harms of pornography and urging lawmakers to enforce existing laws against pornography.

Please urge your lawmakers to either attend, or send a staff member to this event. Leading experts will speak on topics such as how addiction harms a person, how pornography is linked to sex trafficking, and how women and children are sexually exploited and involved in the pornography industry.

The “Pornography Harms: A Briefing” event will be held in Washington, D.C. at the Capitol Visitor’s Center (HVC-201) on June 15 at 11a.m. EST.

To send emails: CLICK HERE

Pornography Harms Website: http://www.pornharms.org/

Thank you! Together we are making a difference!

Steve & Julie Shematz & the BFA FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries
Where Victims Become Over-Comers
239.939.9218
877.4BFA SOS (423.2767) Toll Free Help Line
http://www.BeautyFromAshes.org/

FREE ONLINE TRAINING: "Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: How to Identify and Respond to America's Prostituted Youth"

Below is information on a free webinar regarding "Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: How to Identify and Respond to America's Prostituted Youth" using Shared Hope International's curriculum, which I highly recommend.

Julie Shematz
CEO & Founder

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

HHS Rescue & Restore to Host WebEx Training

“Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: How to Identify and
Respond to America’s Prostituted Youth”

Tuesday, June 15, 2010
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)


Summary
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is hosting a series of free, online WebEx training sessions on a variety of topics related to human trafficking. The information session on Tuesday, June 15, will focus on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: How to Identify and Respond to America’s Prostituted Youth and address the following:

Risk factors that make youth vulnerable to traffickers
How to recognize victims of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST)
How to incorporate indicators of DMST into intake documents
How to use strength-based, trauma-informed identification and intervention techniques appropriate for adolescent survivors of sex trafficking

Presenter
Melissa Snow, Director of Programs, Shared Hope International

Shared Hope International (SHI) is an Arlington, Virginia – based organization that works to end sex trafficking worldwide through education and public awareness. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) awarded a grant to SHI to research domestic minor sex trafficking. SHI worked with DOJ-funded taskforces to assess DMST and access to victim services in ten U.S. locations, publishing its results in The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America’s Prostituted Youth. In her role at SHI, Ms. Snow is working with more than fifteen DOJ-funded taskforces to identify and facilitate services for DMST victims.

How to Register:

To register for the Tuesday, June 15th, 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) training session, please click on the link below (or place it into your Internet browser):

https://mman.webex.com/mman/j.php?ED=136727542&RG=1&UID=1126282767&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D

Space is limited to 150 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Multiple participants from an organization are encouraged to register one individual for the session; participants can view the training through one computer and a speaker phone.

For those of you not familiar with WebEx trainings, all you need is access to a computer, the Internet, and your phone.

After you register, the WebEx system will send you a confirmation e-mail with login information for both the web and the teleconference portions. Please save the confirmation email because it includes the following information:

· Toll-free phone number and participant passcode for the audio portion of the training session; and
· Web site link and passcode (same as the phone passcode) so you can view the PowerPoint (ppt) presentation as it is being presented. The ppt will advance automatically during the training session.

As part of the WebEx session, you can ask the presenter questions. Once on the call, the technician will guide you on how to ask questions orally. The speaker will answer questions during the last 15 minutes of the presentation.

We look forward to your participation!

Best regards,

Maggie Wynne
Director, Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division
Rescue & Restore
www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking
National Human Trafficking Resource Center • 1-888-3737-888