In 2002, when the founder of Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries (BFA) started doing outREACHes into strip clubs, there were less than 5 ministries world wide doing this unique type of outREACH and the word human trafficking was rarely ever mentioned. Recognizing the need to train and send ministries to do this type of outREACH, Julie Shematz developed the first of it's kind, a faith based strip club outREACH training in 2004. She began providing training to ministries and churches across the nation and in 2010 she was able to acquire a capacity building grant from the Department of Health and Human Services. The grant enabled Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries to develop the original training into an best practices, faith based, 18 module curriculum that includes human trafficking, afterCARE, community collaboration, outREACH strategies, as well as the model of operations, written by a professional curriculum writer. Today, there are more than over 170 faith based ministries world wide doing strip club outREACH and countless organizations raising awareness and providing services to victims of sex trafficking. Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries model includes prevention, intervention, restoration, and advocacy through over 30 programs and services provided free of charge to over 1500 victims of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. In 2012, we launched our equine programs which include equine assisted/facilitated learning and horsemanship mentoring for ages 8 through adulthood. In 2013, recognizing the need to provide interventions for care giver burn out and care giver second hand trauma, we launched an Equine Escape for Ministry Workers. What's amazing is that we've been able to do all this while our Founder and Executive Director, Julie Shematz, has been enrolled as a full time graduate student since May 2010. She is set to graduate with Summa Kum Laude receiving a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Florida Gulf Coast University August 8th of this year.
Will you partner today with a pioneering, grass roots, overcomer-led, community service agency that has demonstrated the ability to Reach, Rescue, Restore, Train and Send, while remaining on the cutting edge of the development of professional helping services and programs for hurting people?
Give securely online or send your check, money order, or cash to Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries, 13300 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste. 56, Fort Myers, FL 33907 and THANK YOU for your support in helping victims to become overcomers world wide!
No comments:
Post a Comment