Hello, my name is Ashley.
Over the last 3 months I have had the privilege of pursuing my passion and calling through my internship at Rescue Her. As a sophomore college student I was introduced to the tragedy that is human trafficking and 2 years later the burden is stronger than I had ever anticipated. When you ask God to give you a burden for something, you had better be prepared to carry the magnitude of that weight. Like many other people I had this passion and desire in my heart to do something, but I did not know what to do. One day my roommate came into the room and told me that she had seen a poster for an organization called Rescue Her that raises awareness for human trafficking, so I looked up the website and applied for the internship. It was a divine appointment that brought me to Rescue Her and everything that I have learned while being here is going with me as I go into this world more determined than ever to fight for justice.
I have always felt a calling on my life to minister to teenage girls, specifically girls from broken families and difficult situations. Rescue Her has provided me an outlet to foster the gifts that God has given me. Through our outreach Glam Girls, I had the opportunity to spend time building relationships with young girls from difficult situations and share the love of Christ with them. I remember driving back to the dorm that night with tears filling my eyes because each of those girls now had a special place in my heart. I have had the opportunity to participate in some incredible experiences through Rescue Her. I specifically remember the day we traveled to Austin for National Advocacy Day and spoke to several representatives to advocate bills that would bring more justice for victims of human trafficking. It was encouraging to know that there are men and women who are working to right this wrong. I also had the privilege to be a part of Rescue Her’s first 5k Color Run to raise money to build a safe home in India.
These are only a few of the incredible opportunities I have been given through this internship. Sometimes the issue of human trafficking can seem absolutely overwhelming and I remember thinking, “what could I possibly do that would make a difference?” Working at Rescue Her has taught me that every little thing counts, but if you choose to do nothing, then nothing will ever change. I cannot know about the tragedy that is human trafficking and not do something about it. I am such a small part of something that is so incredibly big, but if I can simply make a dent in this problem, I will know that it was absolutely worth it. Do not be crippled by the overwhelming magnitude of this problem. Choose to stand up and do something about it! Make your voice heard, tell everyone you know; find an organization that will provide an outlet for you to do something, but whatever you do, don’t sit around and do NOTHING. The faces of human trafficking are no longer unfamiliar faces, they are the very heart that lies behind Rescue Her and no more than ever is the time to RESCUE HER.
Sincerely, Ashley
Hello, My name is Sarah, On February 25th, I had the privilege of participating in Texas Advocacy Day to End Human Trafficking. Representatives from Rescue Her and our partnering organizations joined other community members in Austin, TX to advocate in favor of laws that fight against human trafficking. The day began with a short seminar led by IJM and Children at Risk, informing us about the specific laws we would be adovocating for that afternoon. We chose two main bills to promote: Senate Bill 92 (Safe Harbor) which gives alternatives to jail time for juveniles who are believed to have been trafficked, and Senate Bill 94 which provides opportunities for victims to seek civil remedies such as money or injunctions from traffickers or publishers of advertisements. To be quite honest, I have never been too involved in policies and law-making. The slow process of passing new bills has never interested me as much as face-to-face awareness events and counseling. But as the day went on, my eyes were completely opened to how critical of a role government plays in the fight against human trafficking. As I left our first meeting with a representative, I was caught off guard by how excited and energized I was. It occurred to me that this man, whom I had just educated on the prevalence of human trafficking in his district, now had the power to vote in favor of a bill that would give rights to women and children victims whom I was so passionate about seeing healed. The issue of human trafficking is one that needs to be attacked from all angles. I left from Austin that day with two things: a new awareness of my responsibility to remain as active as possible in policy making, and a new respect for the law-makers and elected officials who utilize their skills and influence to help abolish this modern day slavery. Please join me in staying up to date on human trafficking laws by visiting polarisproject.org. I'd also like to invite you to pray that our elected officials be given wisdom and boldness to speak out for victims without a voice. Sincerely, Sarah Decker
Hello, My name is Sarah,
On February 25th, I had the privilege of participating in Texas Advocacy Day to End Human Trafficking. Representatives from Rescue Her and our partnering organizations joined other community members in Austin, TX to advocate in favor of laws that fight against human trafficking. The day began with a short seminar led by IJM and Children at Risk, informing us about the specific laws we would be adovocating for that afternoon. We chose two main bills to promote: Senate Bill 92 (Safe Harbor) which gives alternatives to jail time for juveniles who are believed to have been trafficked, and Senate Bill 94 which provides opportunities for victims to seek civil remedies such as money or injunctions from traffickers or publishers of advertisements.
To be quite honest, I have never been too involved in policies and law-making. The slow process of passing new bills has never interested me as much as face-to-face awareness events and counseling. But as the day went on, my eyes were completely opened to how critical of a role government plays in the fight against human trafficking. As I left our first meeting with a representative, I was caught off guard by how excited and energized I was. It occurred to me that this man, whom I had just educated on the prevalence of human trafficking in his district, now had the power to vote in favor of a bill that would give rights to women and children victims whom I was so passionate about seeing healed.
The issue of human trafficking is one that needs to be attacked from all angles. I left from Austin that day with two things: a new awareness of my responsibility to remain as active as possible in policy making, and a new respect for the law-makers and elected officials who utilize their skills and influence to help abolish this modern day slavery.
Please join me in staying up to date on human trafficking laws by visiting polarisproject.org. I'd also like to invite you to pray that our elected officials be given wisdom and boldness to speak out for victims without a voice.
Sincerely,
Sarah Decker
Hi friends, Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and I posted this picture of Brad and I on my Facebook wall to raise awareness. It is a picture of us at a very happy moment during our Rescue Her trip to Cambodia to work with SHE Rescue Home. Now, I know it's not a picture depicting human trafficking, but stick with me for a minute. To me this picture represents the truth that every little thing we do for the cause of justice adds up to something significant. When I started Rescue Her, this trip was just a dream in my heart. Every hour spent on office work, t-shirt design, phone calls.... All that doesn't always make me feel like I'm 'fighting trafficking'. But it makes a difference. It makes ALL the difference. It is so much more exciting, and feels like something REAL when you actually are on site in person, seeing the faces and holding a hand, but that part would be impossible without the other. And every part is every bit as important. The reality of that was never more real to me than during our trip. The work that is going on does not stand on it's own. Every person who buys a t-shirt, every girl who wears a wristband to school and tells her friends, every coffee bag labeled and shipped out, every church that cares, every poster hung and flyer handed out... That all has a part to play in making the rescue, prevention and restoration possible. YOU make a difference. I want to say a HUGE thank you to every single person that has helped Rescue Her make an impact!! Truly - you are valued more than you will ever know!! It is in all the little thing. It's not one big, glamorous and adventuresome thing... it's the little things. That is what is going to add up and make the dream of ending human trafficking in our generation possible. So don't feel insignificant. YOU have a part to play, whatever that looks like. Look around our website or contact me for ideas of what you can do. Let's all do our part so that together we can make a HUGE difference. Love, Josie
Hi friends,
Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and I posted this picture of Brad and I on my Facebook wall to raise awareness. It is a picture of us at a very happy moment during our Rescue Her trip to Cambodia to work with SHE Rescue Home. Now, I know it's not a picture depicting human trafficking, but stick with me for a minute.
To me this picture represents the truth that every little thing we do for the cause of justice adds up to something significant. When I started Rescue Her, this trip was just a dream in my heart. Every hour spent on office work, t-shirt design, phone calls.... All that doesn't always make me feel like I'm 'fighting trafficking'. But it makes a difference. It makes ALL the difference. It is so much more exciting, and feels like something REAL when you actually are on site in person, seeing the faces and holding a hand, but that part would be impossible without the other. And every part is every bit as important.
The reality of that was never more real to me than during our trip. The work that is going on does not stand on it's own. Every person who buys a t-shirt, every girl who wears a wristband to school and tells her friends, every coffee bag labeled and shipped out, every church that cares, every poster hung and flyer handed out... That all has a part to play in making the rescue, prevention and restoration possible. YOU make a difference. I want to say a HUGE thank you to every single person that has helped Rescue Her make an impact!! Truly - you are valued more than you will ever know!! It is in all the little thing. It's not one big, glamorous and adventuresome thing... it's the little things. That is what is going to add up and make the dream of ending human trafficking in our generation possible.
So don't feel insignificant. YOU have a part to play, whatever that looks like. Look around our website or contact me for ideas of what you can do. Let's all do our part so that together we can make a HUGE difference.
Love,
Josie
Dear Friends,
I'm so excited to tell you that last month we were able to launch Glam Girls, a trafficking prevention outreach that has been on our hearts for some time. It was such a success in September that we held our second one on November 10! None of this would have been possible without our amazing volunteer team! These ladies were truly incredible.
Glam Girls reaches high risk teen girls through a free makeover event where we connect with the girls one on one to show them their true beauty, God's love, educate them on the dangers of sex trafficking and teach them how to stay safe from people who would want to exploit their beauty.
At September’s launching of Glam Girls we visited the poorest neighborhood in Arlington, TX. It was a huge success! We had almost 100 girls show up to get their hair, makeup and nails done while being loved on and shown their true beauty through Christ! November’s Glam Girls was in a different demographic of Arlington, and also such a precious time and a big success! We had about 30 high school girls come with a hesitant attitude of not wanting to be there but they all left with huge smiles, wanting more! At each event you could see how beautiful the girls felt by their expressions when they looked in the mirrors. Even though they arrived shy and reserved, they ended up laughing and talking and opened up to us happily sharing their stories. After the makeovers they had their pictures taken and received a gift bag full of beauty products, as well as trafficking safety tips and hot-line number. At this time we were able to talk to them and pray with each one. There were many precious moments and a few tears shed by the sweet girls we ministered to.
After the event the local pastor had tears in her eyes telling us that she had never seen anything like the way we loved on these girls and she was absolutely amazed at the response and openness of even the toughest girls in the community who never connect with anyone. It is amazing the ministry that can take place while doing someone’s hair and nails, and the effect of home-made cookies and genuine love cannot be under estimated!
Making a difference and fighting human trafficking is not always lofty and difficult. It can be as simple as rolling up your sleeves and giving an afternoon of your time to reach troubled girls in your community. You can have eternal impact!
The need is huge! We have many high risk areas that we want to take Glam Girls to. We need your help! If you are interested in having Glam Girls come to your area, email us at info@rescueher.org. If you are good at hair, makeup, painting nails, baking sweets, or just loving on young girls, then we need your help to make this another successful event! No licensing necessary. We will hold a training session before the event in trafficking prevention so you will know exactly what to do. Click here to sign up or email Elyse at info@rescueher.org with questions.