BFA on NBC & FGCU Human Slavery Symposium

NBC2 News did a story on human trafficking, Southwest Florida Children Sold As Sex Slaves, featuring Beauty From Ashes on 1/18/10. To view the story, CLICK HERE

HUMAN SLAVERY SYMPOSIUM, Out of the Shadows, begins this week at Florida Gulf Coast University. Beauty From Ashes will be exhibiting and selling hand made items of jewelry, bags & artwork by over-comers of sex slavery in the Student Union Ballroom Wednesday, January 20th 3pm - 9:30pm, Monday January 25th 4pm - 8pm and Wednesday, January 27th 8am - 5pm. For more information and to register, CLICK HERE

Our very own over-comer and founder, Julie Shematz, will be speaking at 7:30pm Wednesday, January 20th and introducing keynote speaker, David Batstone of Not For Sale. She will also be on the Outreach, Education and Prevention panel at 7:15pm on Monday, January 25th and representing the voice of the victims on Wednesday, January 27th 11:30am.

VOLUNTEERS for symposium: Set up team please arrive 60 minutes prior to opening of events and please dress in black and white.

PRAYER REQUESTS: Please stand in the gap with us for God to complete the good work He has begun in the lives of the women and youth we have influence in. The journey to healing is often a very painful process that many will not commit to preferring to run and return the captivity they were delivered out of. Please pray for strength, wisdom and perseverance for leadership and first response workers interacting with the victims of human trafficking and the sex industry. Send your prayer requests to: prayer@beautyfromashes.org We have prayer teams ready & willing to stand in the gap for your needs as well.

THECALL2XXX: Global unified prayer for the victims of commercialized sexual exploitation, human trafficking and the organizations providing services to them is every Friday 8-9am EST. Please join us. For prayer guide, CLICK HERE

CHILD OF GOD CD: Beauty From Ashes' private label, fund raising, 10 song CD is available for a minimum love gift of $35 ($5 is for shipping). For more info, CLICK HERE

For the LATEST NATIONAL NEWS ON SEX TRAFFICKING join our facebook Fan Page, CLICK HERE

Thank you for your love, encouragement & support. Because of you, we are making a difference.

In His love & passion to see victims become over-comers,

Steve, Julie & the FREEdom™ Team

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 Ministries

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

Path to Recovery & Upcoming Events

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

None of us can escape the effects of spiritual warfare. We are all vulnerable, and the world fractures us in many ways throughout our lives. Consequently, we are unable to avoid traumas, some of which leave long lasting scars.

Particularly when they come during childhood, traumas can have profoundly detrimental effects. Even careful parents cannot keep children completely out of harm’s way. Kids will be traumatized one way or another, and many people spend much of their adult lives trying to overcome the effects of early traumas. Trying to overcome the effects of the early traumas is usually not recognized as such, because it takes the form of struggling through life, reading the latest self-improvement books, and feeling stuck with an annoying bad habit. These are attempts to change the trauma effects without looking at the trauma that produced the effects.

About a third of us have been traumatized as children in the form of physical or sexual abuse, many more suffer from the absences of good things that are necessary for emotional maturation, and help is not usually available. School failure, depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, chronic physical illness, violent behavior, and disturbing sexual urges are some of the common after-effects of childhood traumas. When they go untreated, the children carry these effects along with them into adulthood. Woundedness, dividedness, isolation, and oppression are the result of leaving the trauma wounds unidentified and unhealed.

They really need for the people who love them to encourage them to find out where their pain is coming from, and to accompany them on their path to recovery. Without the help of a caring community around them, their woundedness, dividedness, isolation, and oppression will prevent them from getting to wholeness. The Life Model: Living From the Heart Jesus Gave You, page 21-22, Dr. James G. Friesen.

We at Beauty From Ashes™ are committed to providing the necessary survivor centered services for victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.

In the aftermath of a trafficking experience, the physical and psychological control tactics used by traffickers, combined with the physical and sexual abuses perpetrated leave both deep emotional scars and physical damage. Hands That Heal: page XV, Beth & Cindy Lopez Hudlin.

Although their wounds seem daunting, our holistic, community-based approach gives them the best opportunity to heal as they embark on their path to recovery. Working with licensed Christian therapists and through community partnerships, we have been able to embrace the wounded and offer them the multi-faceted care they deserve.

Below is a quote from a resident, a former victim of domestic minor sex trafficking, currently living in our first FREEdom™ Home:

"While living in the FREEdom™ safehome, I am challenged by the commitment needed to pursue wholeness. I am encouraged by the fact that it’s not me healing alone, and it is God's power and presence in my life that is nurturing and healing me. The most impacting part of living in the FREEdom™ home has been the emphasis placed on an intimate relationship with Daddy God, healing and the importance of a healthy, safe and loving community. I’m learning what it means to live a life of abundance and joy here at the FREEdom™ home; I have celebrated my birthday for the first time, experienced Christmas in a healthy family setting, and even watched a football game while eating chocolate chip cookies. I am beginning to understand that through Christ's forgiveness and acceptance, I am clean. Seeing more brothers and sisters in Christ come alongside me is proving to me how much God wants me to heal."

Facing the new year in the middle of a national financial crisis, we need your help like never before. Will you please prayerfully consider coming along side us to help these precious women heal and experience healthy firsts? Your love gift will give a young woman hope that God truly desires wholeness out of her brokenness. It will help us to continue reaching, rescuing, restoring and advocating for them.

All donations are tax deductible. Write check to Beauty From Ashes and mail to 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907 or give securely online HERE

For a minimum gift of $35 ($5 shipping), we'll send you our 10 song private label, Beauty From Ashes™ Child of God CD.

Thank you for partnering with us in supporting their path to recovery. Together we are better and are making a difference.

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

UPCOMING EVENTS:

ABC/NBC News Story on Beauty From Ashes, Julie and human trafficking Monday, January 18th.

Out of the Shadows Human Trafficking Conference, Julie Shematz will be speaking on behalf of victims, January 20, 25 & 27th at Florida Gulf Coast University. Beauty From Ashes will also be exhibiting hand made jewelry, bags, artwork & items made by over-comers.

Strip Club Outreach, January 28th, Fort Myers Beach, FL

Stiletto Project Art Show, Julie Shematz showing & art auction of paintings by over-comers, February 6th, Gallery AK1511, Venice, CA. Proceeds go to Treasures & Beauty From Ashes. To view Julie's entry, CLICK HERE

Life's Healing Choices Bible Study & Meal, Mondays Ongoing, 5:30 - 8pm, Fort Myers, FL

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Contact Us

PRAYER REQUESTS: Contact Us

SCHEDULE A BEAUTY FROM ASHES' SPEAKER/EVENT: Contact Us

In His love & passion to see victims become over-comers,

Steve, Julie & the FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries

Where Victims Become Over-Comers™

239.939.9218

877.4BFA SOS (423.2767) International Toll Free Help Line

http://www.BeautyFromAshes.org

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

January 2010 National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

On January 5th, President Obama made a proclamation declaring
January 2010 as the
NATIONAL SLAVERY & HUMAN TRAFFICKING MONTH

26 Things You Can Do To Make a Difference

January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day ~ 20 Things You Can Do

• Today 27 million people are held in slavery
• 80% are Sex Slaves & Female
• 60% 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
• 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 will be the #1 crime worldwide in 2010

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™ Reach, Rescue, and Restore training on 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 #.
9. Find out if your area has a local human trafficking task force 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, 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 the FREEdom™ Home ($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. (LPN & Cosmetology)
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 have been providing assistance to victims of CSE & human trafficking since 2005.

BEAUTY FROM ASHES™ MISSION:
To prevent, rescue and restore victims of 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. Write check to Beauty From Ashes and mail to 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907 or give securely online HERE

Thank you for joining us and becoming a slavery abolitionist in 2010. Together we are better & can make a difference!

Passionate about seeing victims & survivors become over-comers,

Steve, Julie & the FREEdom™ Team
Beauty From Ashes™ Ministries

P.S. See ADDITIONAL THINGS TO DO in Comments below.

Funding FREEdom™ in 2010

· Today 27 million people are held in slavery

· 80% are Sex Slaves & Female

· 60% are Children

· 100,000 – 300,000 domestic minors are being lured into prostitution yearly

· Every minute 2 children are being forced into sex slavery worldwide

· 90% of adult sex workers were victims of sexual abuse as children

· Florida is the #2 state for human trafficking

· Every year more than 1 million children are forced into global commercial sexual exploitation (CSE)

· Human trafficking will be the #1 crime worldwide in 2010

· Currently there are less than 50 beds for the much-needed specialized services for domestic minors of sex trafficking in the USA.

Will you help Beauty From Ashes™ start

the New Year strong

and enable us to better assist

victims of CSE and human trafficking?

How Far Will Your Dollar Go?

$50 – Cost of BFA’s monthly strip club food outreach (25 – 30 meals)

$100 – Cost of BFA’s bi-monthly strip club gift outreach (25-75 gifts)

$125 – Cost of 25 Bibles

$20/day, $140/week & $600/month – Cost to clothe, feed, shelter, provide therapy, staffing & insurance to survivor in BFA FREEdom™ Home

$400/month – Cost of BFA administration

$3000 – Cost to relocate family of 4 (two children; 3 months & 2 years) from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Fort Myers, FL. Mother is CSE & human trafficking survivor who has worked as a hair stylist for 4 years. Husband wants to go into local drug rehabilitation residential program (Teen Challenge) while mother & children receive survivor-based assistance from BFA, including licensed therapy.

$415/month, $5000/year – Cost to acquire Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) degree for over-comer of CSE, mother* of three children (1, 3 & 8 years old) who has already acquired state nurses aide license & CPR training. She has been out of industry for 4 years.

$1000/month, $12,000/year – Cost to acquire Cosmetology Degree for CSE & human trafficking over-comer*, who has been free from slavery for 8 years and maintained full time employment.

*Rahab’s Hope Fund Candidates that have worked with BFA for 3-5 years. Both have demonstrated consistent maturity and a sincere desire to better themselves through higher education means.

You can give two ways:

1. Mail cash, money order or check made out to Beauty From Ashes Ministries to 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907

2. Give securely online by clicking HERE

All donations are tax deductible. Your gift of love enables a victim and survivor to realize they can experience FREEdom™ to become an over-comer. Please notate in Memo if you desire your gift to go to specific area of need and thank you!

For a minimum gift of $35 ($5 shipping), we'll send you our 10 song private label, Beauty From Ashes™ Child of God CD.

Together we are better & are making a difference.

PLEASE NOTE: January 11^th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Awareness is key to prevention and intervention. Join the slavery abolitionist movement and refuse to be a bystander. Contact us for resources, ideas and possible speakers.

The FREEdom™ Team

Beauty From Ashes Ministries

2010 New Year Resolutions

In 2010, Beauty From Ashes resolves...

...to reach, rescue & restore more domestic victims of CSE & sex trafficking than ever before.

...to advocate for the rights of domestic minor & adult victims of sex trafficking like never before.

...to change public policy regarding restoration funding for domestic victims of human trafficking.

...to establish more FREEdom™ Homes for domestic minors & adult victims of CSE & sex trafficking.

...to commit to the process of healing & wholeness, better equipping over-comers to assist sex trafficking survivors & victims.

...to assist more victims of CSE & sex trafficking to become over-comers than ever before.

...to develop more community partnerships & to abolish modern day sex slavery in 2010.

...to change the world one life & soul at a time in sex trafficking, human trafficking and child trafficking.

These are our resolutions, and there are numerous opportunities that you too can become a slavery abolitionist for 2010.

Ways to be PRO-ACTIVE in SEX SLAVERY ABOLITION in 2010:

1. RAISE AWARENESS & BE TRAINED IN REACH, RESCUE & RESTORATION: Host an event, outreach training or over-comer speaker from Beauty From Ashes™. Contact us

2. SPREAD THE WORD on the internet to fight sex trafficking by joining our facebook, myspace, and twitter teams

3. DONATE money that goes directly to our efforts. Write check to Beauty From Ashes and mail to 5100 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 318-148, Fort Myers, FL 33907 or give securely online HERE

$50 – Cost of BFA’s monthly strip club food outreach (25 – 30 meals)
$100 – Cost of BFA’s bi-monthly strip club gift outreach (25-75 gifts)
$125 – Cost of 25 Bibles
$20/day, $140/week & $600/month – Cost to clothe, feed, shelter, provide therapy, staffing & insurance to survivor in BFA FREEdom™ Home
$400/month – Cost of BFA administration

4. VOLUNTEER with Beauty From Ashes. Contact us for opportunities.

TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER & WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 2010!

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