20 Things You Can Do to Fight Human Trafficking in the USA

• Today  30 million people are held in slavery
• 80% are Sex Slaves & Female
• 50% are Children
• 100,000 – 300,000 domestic minors are being lured into prostitution yearly
• The average age of a prostitute in the USA is 12-14 years old
• Every minute 2 children are being forced into sex slavery worldwide
• 66-90% of adult sex workers were victims of sexual abuse as children
• Florida is the #2 state for human trafficking (Texas #1 & California #3)
• Every year more than 1 million children are forced into global commercial sexual exploitation (CSE)
• Human trafficking is the #2 and fastest growing crime in the world. 

Most people don’t know that in 2007 the United States Senate designated January 11th as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

20 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

1. Refuse to be part of the problem by being apathetic and doing nothing. Be pro-active.


2. Contact your organization, club, and church leaders to facilitate an event to raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking.


3. Invite a Beauty From Ashes™ over-comer to share their personal story of triumph.


4. Schedule a Beauty From Ashes™ Sex Industry OutREACH & AfterCARE training and learn how to effectively do outreach and provide survivor-centered services to victims.


5. Read the National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, so you can be educated and informed.


6. Watch and repost human trafficking videos from the Beauty From Ashes™ Youtube page.


7. Follow us and challenge your friends to do so as well. Repost and share the information we post: 

BFA BLOG
BFA FACEBOOK FAN PAGE
BFA MYSPACE
BFA TWITTER

8. Start following human trafficking news on twitter. Retweet relevant news stories by adding a tag #. (eg. #humantrafficking #childtrafficking #trafficking #sextrafficking #prostitution)


9. Find out if your area has a local human trafficking task force/coalition and get involved. If your area doesn’t have one, contact your Sheriff’s department and coordinate the establishment of one.


10. Contact your local newspaper to see if they are running a story on human trafficking for the Awareness Day; if not, encourage them to do so and tell them about Beauty From Ashes™.


11. Find out about local slavery abolitionist groups in your area and volunteer your time.


12. Produce artwork that raises awareness about the issue of human trafficking. Take a picture and send the images to Beauty From Ashes™ Founder, JulietheArtist.


13. Take up a collection in your office, care group, Sunday school, or church service. Donate to bring hope through Beauty From Ashes™.


14. Sponsor a fundraiser for Beauty From Ashes™, ideas include: bake sale, car wash, marathon, bikeathon, swimathon, danceathon, walkathon, silent auction, or garage sale.


15. Ask if your employer has a donor-match program for charity donations. Tell them about Beauty From Ashes™.


16. Businesses, please consider donating a percentage of your profits to Beauty From Ashes™.


17. Sponsor a resident survivor's basic care needs in a safeHOME ($600/month).


18. Sponsor a BFA outreach to victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and human trafficking. ($50-100/month)


19. Sponsor a BFA Rahab's Hope Fund candidate, a survivor of CSE & human trafficking, to go to school and acquire a higher education degree ($500-$1000/month).


20. Sign up for BFA E-Newsletter and forward our email and blog link to 10 of your friends.

"The biggest hurdle for those of us who work in the anti-trafficking field is the simple lack of awareness of trafficking as a social issue, as a crime (by understanding the criminal elements, or definition), and understanding there is a pretty strong anti-trafficking response if you just know where to look.

Remember, if one of the toughest hurdles we have as abolitionists is the lack of knowledge about trafficking, one of the most important things to do is inform others." -John Vanek

BEAUTY FROM ASHES™ was founded by an over-comer of CSE & human trafficking. We are Florida's first and only overcomer-led, community service agency. Since 2005, we've provided services to over 1000 victims.

BEAUTY FROM ASHES™ MISSION:
To prevent, rescue and restore victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.

BEAUTY FROM ASHES™ 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

All donations are tax deductible and giving of $25 up to $25,000 is doubled, thanks to a matching gift challenge! Write check to Beauty From Ashes and mail to 13300 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste. 56, Fort Myers, FL 33907 or give securely online HERE

Thank you for joining us and becoming a slavery abolitionist in 2012. Together we are better & can make a difference!

Passionate about seeing victims & survivors become over-comers,
Julie Shematz & the BFA FREEdom™ Team
Founder & Executive Director
Beauty From Ashes Ministries
(239) 939-9218 • 877 4BFA SOS (877-423-2767) Toll Free Help Line

VBS Human Trafficking Curriculum, Upcoming Strip Club OutREACH, Breaking Free Support Group & More!

BFA PARTNERS WITH VBS TO EDUCATE CHILDREN ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Last week we appealed to our fans, partners and fellow abolitionists to help us come up with a creative way to speak about human trafficking to children ages 3-11 for a local church's Vacation Bible School (VBS) program. The huge challenge was to not use words like human trafficking, sex, abuse, victim, rape, prostitution, stripping, etc.  Our objective was to come up with blurbs to be read every day for VBS's 'Ministry Minute'. The church is having Beauty From Ashes (BFA) be their support ministry for VBS and wants to tell the children everyday about us, what we're doing, why, and ultimately educate the children to prevent them from becoming victims of human sex trafficking.  The response was awesome and we thank everyone that contributed and we want to especially thank Sanibel Community Church for boldly going, to our knowledge, where no other children's program has ever went before.  With the numbers of domestic minors being forced or lured into human sex trafficking an alarming 100,000-300,000 a year and the average age of entry into prostitution being 11-14, they recognized the need to implement preventative educational measures and we applaud them for doing such!  To read the five days of 'Ministry Minutes' for VBS, CLICK HERE.

STRIP CLUB OUTREACH:  This Saturday, June 11th the BFA OutREACH Team will be serving up a home cooked meal and delivering gifts that include Bibles, the Magdelena DVD, inspirational books, beauty and hair supplies, and human trafficking information in the locker room of our local "adopted" strip club.  BFA has been going into this club since 2005 and consistently serving up meals on monthly basis since 2009.  Our objective has been to share the Good News, teach about and demonstrate God's kindness and love, and establish relationships that will extend beyond the outREACH.  In the 1st 6 months of 2011, more women have quit and sought our services than ever before!  Additionally, not only are we able to educate the employees and staff about human trafficking, we are able to keep our eyes open for potential trafficking victims and initiate intervention that leads to restoration.

BREAKING FREE LIFE SKILLS & SUPPORT GROUP:  Wednesdays at Barry University 1-3pm.  For women who are currently in the sex industry and for those who have been in it.   Child care and lunch provided.  Registration required.  Contact Julie Shematz at julie@beautyfromashes.org or call 239-939-9218 to register. 

BFA CURRENT NEEDS:  Want to help and get involved with Florida's first and only survivor led human sex trafficking service agency?  CLICK HERE for details.  

SCHEDULE BFA FOR AN EVENT:  BFA provides education, in services, and trainings on human trafficking for social service agencies, universities, churches, groups, businesses, and clubs.  To schedule a speaker and for more information, CLICK HERE

BFA JUNE PRAYER REQUESTS:  For details on how to pray for BFA clients, staff, and our programs, CLICK HERE

WEEKLY GLOBAL CORPORATE PRAYER:  Join BFA 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. 

BFA PRAYER TEAM:  To sign up, send your name, city, state, and country to prayer@beautyfromashes.org.

PRAYER REQUESTS:  We care for you and have a team that prays over your every need.  Submit your prayer request via our website CLICK HERE.

BFA E-NEWSLETTER SIGN UP:  CLICK HERE

BFA FACEBOOK FAN PAGE & TWITTER:  :  Become a fan on the BFA facebook fanpage and follow us on Twitter.  Get informed and raise awareness by reposting and retweeting!

2010 AUDITED FINANCIAL REPORT:  In 2010 92.7% of all giving and income to BFA went to Program Services. Because people believe in our mission and vision, we had approximately 10,600 in kind items given and 5000 hours of services donated.  We don't use our partner's seed money to buy clothing to sell, for elaborately painted vehicles, extensive marketing, or grandiose salaries, we use it to meet the needs of the marginalized population we serve and to advance the kingdom of God.  This audited report demonstrates that BFA is committed to the highest standards of stewardship and financial accountability.  We want to thank our partners for assisting us to Educate the community, Advocate for, Reach, Rescue and Restore victims of commercialized exploitation and human sex trafficking. To view our 2010 Audited Financial Report, CLICK HERE.  

DONATIONS:  Your partnership is vital for us.  We currently rely on private donations to provide Program Services. Please consider becoming a partner by giving a 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, 13300 S. Cleveland Ave., Ste, 56-623, Fort Myers, FL 33907.

Finally, I will leave you with this scripture from Acts 20:24, "My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness & love." 

Thank you for supporting me and the work our Lord entrusted to me since 2002.  Together we are fulfilling His mission for those entrapped in slavery. 

In His lavish love & committed service,

Julie Shematz & the BFA FREEdom™ Team

Founder/CEO

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries  

Where Victims Become Over-Comers

Teaching About Human Trafficking at VBS

Two weeks ago fellow red headed human trafficking abolitionist and educator, Diana Scimone, spear headed a challenge to other abolitionists asking the perplexing question, "How do we educate the most vulnerable, potential victims of domestic human trafficking, minors, without sanitizing or sensationalizing the subject?"

The Department of Justice released a report in May that revealed that 83% of human trafficking is human sex trafficking. Today it is estimated that between 100,000-300,000 domestic children are being forced into prostitution every year.  These children are OUR CITIZENS, they are being forced into what is considered a SEVERE FORM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING that is happening HERE in the USA. The average age of entry into prostitution is between 11-14 years old!  The number #1 destination in the world to have sex with children is the USA!  There is a HUGE NEED to educate children and parents how REAL this problem is, that it's happening in EVERY neighborhood, and what they can do to PREVENT it from happening to them. 

We followed with Diana's appeal in our E-Newsletter and Blog by presenting our dilemma to develop Vacation Bible School 'Ministry Minute' blurbs for children aged 3 to 11.  The biggest challenge was to do this WITHOUT using words like human trafficking, sex, abuse, rape, victims, etc.  We received many responses via all forms of social networking and appreciate everyone's input and ideas.  Below is what we came up with and we hope that it might inspire you even more in the development of such important educational tools for minors.  We'd love hearing from you as you develop yours as well and to know if this has helped you. 

NOTE:  'Ministry Minute' will be read all five days of VBS and a corresponding video with pics and images from Beauty From Ashes outREACHes & ministry work will be shown. The local church sponsoring the event chose Beauty From Ashes as their support ministry and will be asking the children to bring in items for our outREACHes daily.  Items such as beauty supplies, dinner paper products, toiletries, bookmarks, etc. will be given and presented to me at the parent's dinner/final evening.  We'll also have our information table set up to inform parents more about the scope of the problem and what BFA is doing to help.  

Here is what we came up with...again keep in mind this is for children ages 3-11: 

DAY ONE:

There are more slaves in the world, the United States, and South Florida than ever before.  Beauty From Ashes is a unique ministry that helps set the slaves in the Fort Myers area free and across the nation. Beauty From Ashes helps freed slaves to heal and understand that God loves them no matter what they do and to become all that God wants them to be.  Because it is strangers that make girls, boys, and women into slaves, Beauty From Ashes wants you to remember to never talk to strangers, especially at these strangers’ most popular places to catch slaves: on the Internet, at the Mall, at Parks, at the Movie Theatre, Schools, Corner Stores, and at Bus Stops.

DAY TWO:

The Bible says that Jesus came to set the captives free and that we should all be like Jesus. Beauty From Ashes is Jesus’ hands to girls, boys, and women trapped in modern day slavery. Beauty From Ashes helps them to be free and teaches them that God loves and values them no matter what.  Because it is strangers who hurt these girls, boys, and women, Beauty From Ashes wants you to remember to never talk to strangers, especially on the Internet, at the Mall, at Parks, at the Movie Theatre, Schools, Corner Stores, and at Bus Stops.

DAY THREE:

Beauty From Ashes helps hurting girls, boys, and women in this area and nationally to be freed from slavery and to heal.  Beauty From Ashes shares with hurting and broken girls, boys and women the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love. Beauty From Ashes is fulfilling the Great Commission by helping these hurting girls, boys, and women to learn how to be like Jesus. Because strangers are the ones who hurt these girls, boys and women, Beauty From Ashes wants you to remember to never talk to strangers, especially on the Internet, at the Mall, at Parks, at the Movie Theatre, Schools, Corner Stores, and at Bus Stops.

DAY FOUR:

Beauty From Ashes reaches modern day slaves locally by serving them yummy home cooked meals and giving them special gifts that include the Word of God, beauty and hair supplies, inspirational books, toiletries, and gift items that tell hurting girls, boys, and women that God loves them no matter what, wants to rescue them, and has a good plan for their future. Beauty From Ashes wants you to remember that strangers hurt these girls, boys, and women and wants to protect you. Don't ever talk to strangers, especially on the Internet, at the Mall, at Parks, at the Movie Theatre, Schools, Corner Stores, and at Bus Stops.

DAY FIVE:

Beauty From Ashes helps slaves to become free and receive the assistance they need to heal and become new creations in Jesus. Beauty From Ashes helps make beauty from ashes in the lives of hurting and broken girls, boys, women, and men in the Fort Myers area. So, to prevent you from becoming a slave, Beauty From Ashes wants you to remember:  Never talk to strangers, especially on the Internet, at the Mall, at Parks, at the Movie Theatre, at School, Corner Stores, and at Bus Stops.

For more about Beauty From Ashes Ministries Ministries, please visit our website. 

To stay up to date with what we're doing and how you can help, sign up for the BFA E-Newsletter by CLICKING HERE.

SCHEDULE BFA FOR AN EVENT:  BFA provides education, in services, and trainings on human trafficking for social service agencies, universities, churches, groups, businesses, and clubs.  To schedule a speaker and for more information, CLICK HERE.

A huge THANKS to everyone that contributed to this project, especially Sanibel Community Church and your willingness to boldly go where no other children's program has ever went! 

Awareness to leads to Prevention, Intervention, and Restoration.

In His love & service,

Julie Shematz

Founder/CEO Beauty From Ashes Ministries