ACTION ALERT, Strip Club OutREACH Report, Christmas Gifts & More

DOMESTIC MINOR SEX TRAFFICKING DETERRENCE & VICTMS SUPPORT ACT ACTION ALERT:  On December 9, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved S.2925, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act.  Now it needs to pass in the House of Representatives and we need your help to do this.  With only days left in the Congressional session, the House must now adopt the Senate bill and pass it by Friday, December 17!

This bill will aid victims of modern sexual slavery and give law enforcement the tools to investigate and prosecute sex traffickers who exploit underage girls and force them into the sex trade.  The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act would authorize block grants to 6 locations deemed to have significant sex trafficking activity, require a workable plan to provide comprehensive, wrap-around services to sex trafficking victims--including the establishment of a shelter facility--and require demonstrated participation by all levels of law enforcement, prosecutors, and social service providers.

Please contact your Congress member as soon as possible and let them know that they need to stand up for all the children who are being exploited for sex.

Tell them not to leave Washington without passing the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act (S. 2925), Call 202-224-3121 or email your member.  READ MORE

DECEMBER STRIP CLUB OUTREACH REPORT:  On Saturday, December 10th, the Beauty From Ashes (BFA) FREEdom™ OutREACH team delivered and served home cooked roasted chicken, red potatoes & carrots with tossed vegetable salad, potato rolls and baklava inside the locker room of our local "adopted" strip club to approximately 35 employees.  The team also distributed elegant Christmas gifts that included the BFA Child of God CD, leather New Testaments, custom jewelry, elaborate ornaments, candy canes, & make up.  To view photos, CLICK HERE.   Below is from a team member that this was her first experience ever being inside of a strip club:  

"As I walked into the club I immediately felt safe. God went before us, just as we prayed. I walked into a room where girls with immodest “clothing” sat doing makeup and hair. My heart broke as I saw how beautiful they were. I was humbled. As we served food and gave gifts my heart began to explode with the joy of the Lord. By the grace of God I got to pray with girls for physical healing and for 9-5 jobs. This meek Christian girl went into a strip club and boldly asked God to be with dancers. I am grateful I got to go and I can't wait to go back again. This is the kind of place Jesus would be." - Jenni Blye

This outREACH will conclude our outREACHES, a total of 13 for the year of 2010, and we want to thank everyone that has supported and enabled us to do these monthly, locally, and to set up our own booth at the Miami porn expo this year.  Because of your faithfulness to this vision, we have distributed 1000's of  Bibles, CD's, DVD's, and beauty supplies with the message of love, hope, and truth to countless victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and trafficking.  Additionally, hundreds of care packages have been distributed locally and nationally to survivors, individually and in shelters and residential programs, with the Truth that has and will continue to set the captives free to be all that God destined and planned them to be.  THANK YOU!  

BEAUTY FROM ASHES CHILD OF GOD CD:  Use your Christmas buying power to fight human slavery.  What better gift than the Beauty From Ashes (BFA)  private label CD, Child of God, produced by Music for the Soul?  We've reduced the price and 100% of the proceeds will go to provide specialized programs for victims of commercialized sexual exploitation & trafficking.   The 10 song CD: Child of God, Not Too Far From Here, Time For a Breakdown, Every Single Tear, Somebody's Daughter, Keep Breathing, In the Image of God, Binder of the Broken, No One Can Love Me Like You Do & Twenty Three is available for minimum donation of $20 + $5 shipping.  For more information and to order:  CLICK HERE  

BFA EDUCATION/AWARENESS PRESENTATIONS:  

One of BFA's  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 'victim/survivor-centered' training locally and across the United States.  In the past 3 months we have given 12 presentations, in venues that include businesses, universities, churches, clubs, and government agencies.  Additionally, our presentation, Human Trafficking 101: How to Recognize & Respond for healthcare workers has been approved to provide CEU's.  

For more information and to schedule an event in 2011, CLICK HERE

BREAKING FREE LIFE SKILLS & SUPPORT GROUP:  Every Wednesday from 1pm-3pm, at Barry University, BFA is currently presenting Beth Moore's Breaking Free:  The Journey, The Stories bible study.  If you are currently working in the sex for sale industry or a survivor desiring to acquire life skills and learn about who you were designed to be,  please call 239.939.9218 or email Julie Shematz for registration.  Registration required.  Free lunch provided.  Additionally, if you are a mature, stable, Christian woman and interested in being a mentor, fulfilling Titus 2:3-4, and the Great Commission, please contact Julie.  Application and background check required. 

CAR NEEDED FOR SURVIVOR:  Thanks to our generous partners, we have raised $785 for the human sex trafficking survivor, single mother, that we told you about 6 weeks ago.  However, we sill need another $715 to purchase the $1500 car for her to use as transportation.  Will you please consider giving a tax deductible donation today so that we can provide to her a car for Christmas?  Any amount will be appreciated and it all adds up!  If you have a well running vehicle that you would like to donate, please contact Julie Shematz.  

theCALL2XXX:  Join us weekly, locally and globally for 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  To meet with team locally, contact 

Jenni Blye at 574-855-7215 or worshipperwithsong@yahoo.com.

BFA PRAYER:  May all who we influence receive the free gift and reason for the season, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.  

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

DONATIONS:  Your partnership is vital for us to continue providing awareness, advocacy and reach, rescue and restoration services to victims of commercialized sexual exploitation.  Please consider becoming a partner by giving a year end tax deductible gift today.  For  $25 or more we will send you our  Child of God CD.  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.

For the LATEST NEWS REGARDING DOMESTIC SEX TRAFFICKING, visit our home page:  http://www.beautyfromashes.org

BFA E-NEWSLETTER SIGN UP:  CLICK HERE

Again thank you for a year that has been exceedingly, abundantly more than we ever dreamed or asked for.  Together we are better and we are making a difference!  

In The Reason for the season,

Steve and Julie Shematz and the BFA FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries  

Where Victims Become Over-Comers

Use Your Christmas Buying Power to Help Provide Reach, Rescue & Restoration Programs for Victims of Human Sex Trafficking

BEAUTY FROM ASHES CHILD OF GOD CD:  Use your buying power to fight human slavery!  What better gift for Christmas than the Beauty From Ashes (BFA)  private label CD, Child of God, produced by Music for the Soul?  We've reduced the price and 100% of the proceeds will go to provide specialized programs for victims of commercialized sexual exploitation & trafficking.   

The 10 song CD: Child of God, Not Too Far From Here, Time For a Breakdown, Every Single Tear, Somebody's Daughter, Keep Breathing, In the Image of God, Binder of the Broken, No One Can Love Me Like You Do & Twenty Three is available for minimum donation of $20 + $5 shipping.  

For more information and to order:  CLICK HERE

Domestic Minor Anti-Sex Trafficking Bill Passes US Senate

 The US Senate unanimously approved the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act.  The bill would aid victims of modern sexual slavery and give law enforcement the tools to investigate and prosecute sex traffickers who exploit underage girls and force them into the sex trade.

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

Sponsored by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas), the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act would create a 6-state pilot program to help law enforcement crackdown on pimps and traffickers and create shelters, provide treatment, counseling, and legal aid for  underage girls who are forced into sexual slavery.

According to the FBI, more than 100,000 underage girls are exploited for commercial sex in the U.S. each year--including underage girls who are forced into the sex trade.

“Senator Cornyn and I have long believed that sex trafficking is modern day slavery and the poor young women forced into the sex trade are victims of the real criminals--the pimps and traffickers,” Wyden said.  “Today, the United States Senate agreed with us.  Not only will this bill create a working model to help these young women break the cycle of exploitation for good, it will provide new tools for law enforcement and prosecutors to put these modern-day slave owners behind bars.”

Added Senator Cornyn, “Our nation must remain committed to ending the scourge of human trafficking. This legislation will provide valuable assistance to state and local governments on the front lines of battling organized criminal syndicates and violent gangs that traffic humans for labor and sex.”

The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act would authorize block grants to 6 locations deemed to have significant sex trafficking activity, require a workable plan to provide comprehensive, wrap-around services to sex trafficking victims--including the establishment of a shelter facility--and require demonstrated participation by all levels of law enforcement, prosecutors, and social service providers.

Each grant will be funded at $2-2.5 million per year with the option of renewal for 2 more years. Some of the items that can be funded by these block grants include:

• A shelter for trafficking victims
• Clothing and other daily needs to keep victims from returning to the street
• Victims' assistance counseling and legal services
• Education or job training classes for victims
• Specialized training for law enforcement and social service providers
• Salaries for police officers and prosecutors
• Investigation expenses--wire taps, expert consultants, travel, other technical assistance expenditures
• Outreach, education, and prevention efforts, including programs to deter offenders
• The bill will help encourage and boost prompt reporting of missing and abducted children to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. With the help of more timely reporting, law enforcement will be able to identify repeat runaways who are statistically more likely to be lured into prostitution.

"Now it’s time for the House of Representatives to go to work and not leave Washington before this job is done," said Sen. Wyden. "I’m calling on all of you to contact your Congress member as soon as possible and let them know that they need to stand up for all the children who are being exploited for sex.

"Tell them not to leave Washington without passing the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act (S. 2925)," he adds. "Call 202-224-3121 or email your member. Sex trafficking is slavery pure and simple. Let’s end it now."

Source:  Diana Scimone