Refuge for Women Offers New Initiatives for Sexually Exploited Women
Safety “Taken” for Granted
The Liam Neeson thriller, Taken, had a staggering response from young and old alike upon its debut. Before the credits even started rolling, objections all over homes and theaters were pouring out. “I can’t believe that happens there.” “You can’t go overseas.” “It’s too dangerous.” Dads became more protective, mothers became more precautionary, and children became more mindful. But if only that were enough.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Taken, here’s a quick picture. A teenage girl embarks on an oversea journey to Paris, and the trip quickly becomes a nightmare. Her worst fears are realized when she and her friend are abducted by sex traffickers and are used for sexual services and exploitation. As it turns out, her father (Liam Neeson), a former government operative, spends the entire movie utilizing every tool in his toolkit to rescue her before she is auctioned off and lost in the darkness of the sex slavery industry.
The idea of this happening to a teenage girl in Paris is ghastly. The idea of this happening to hundreds of thousands of girls (and occasionally men) in our own state of Texas is a ghastly reality.
And, specifically, the danger of being “taken” in the college town of Denton, Texas, increases year after year.
The Local Fight
The reality is that in Texas alone, about 300,000 people are reported to fall victim to these criminal acts each year. And the amounts of human trafficking cases reported increases each year according to National Human Trafficking Hotline’s statistics.
North Texas alone is the second-largest hub for human trafficking cases in the United States.
The Texas Penal Code currently has 6 Human Trafficking Laws that bring justice and punishment to perpetrators of such crimes. But how do you protect the victims of sex trafficking before their trafficker is caught? How do you rescue women who are stuck in the bondage of sex slavery?
Refuge for Women North Texas answers this call. They provide a place of escape for sexually exploited women in Denton County and seek to instill the hope, support, and tools needed so rescued women can pursue their dreams and live a life of freedom.
Refuge for Women provides specialized long term care through their Program House that offers up to 12 months of safe housing at no cost to the rescued survivor. The program is strategically designed to bring hope, healing, and a new beginning. Within the first 6 months, residents are taken an inch wide and mile deep in their healing journey. Through the study of over 20 books of curriculum, individual and group counseling, topical classes, substance abuse education, and support groups, women can begin to gain freedom from their past.
Months 7-9 mainly focus on interview skills, resume building, and overall job readiness. This transitional phase is geared to help residents enter back into the work world, get a part-time job, and take the first steps of living autonomously.
But just because you’ve learned to swim in a pool, doesn’t mean you’re ready for the ocean.
How does the global pandemic affect this local epidemic?
It’s nothing new to hear of challenges amid this challenging, socially distant time. In some form or fashion, we’ve all felt COVID-19’s sting.
And Refuge for Women has had their fair share of challenges the past few months. From canceling fundraising events to limiting volunteers, the biggest hurdle has been finding ways to keep the residents connected and involved in community. (And I think we can all relate, there).
As humans, we weren’t designed to live in isolation, and when you’re in a season of recovery and restoration, isolation can be the biggest enemy.
For a few of the residents in the Program House, living cooped up, and without the ability to meet socially with groups and attend church gatherings, social distancing regulations have acted as a trigger of past abuse. Many traffickers show their dominance and power by isolating their sex slaves from the outside world. Locked windows, bolted doors, they end up living like a caged animal.
North Texas alone is the second largest hub for human trafficking cases in the United States.
Thankfully, Refuge for Women has set specific items in place to help counsel and guide those women with triggered pasts.
Now, are you ready for the good news?
The Coronavirus has actually prompted some inventive and creative thinking for Refuge for Women, and they have pioneered two new initiatives.
1. Survivor Made product line soon to be launched
When something works, there’s no use reinventing the wheel. And with COVID-19 presenting challenges for residents to find employment, Refuge for Women City Director, Abby Germer, kept the wheel rolling.
When two residents who were ready for work, but unable to enter the community due to social distancing regulations, Abby reached out to the national headquarters of Refuge for Women in Kentucky to inquire about their Survivor Made product line and how she could make that a reality in North Texas.
Abby partnered with a local friend and leather maker by trade to work with the residents to design a product line of handcrafted leather shoulder bags. Not only does this provide work for the residents, but as it grows, it will be a product that the organization can collectively sell.
“Together we’ve been able to dream it, talk through it, and create something foundational that will serve the program for generations to come. Our goal is to have all residents work during the program to build a resume and job skills long before it’s crucial for them to go back to work, and this affords them that opportunity.” Germer explained.
Their goal is to have 50 bags completed before being launched for sale and dream of adding wallets and bracelets to their product line in the future.
Just by asking how progress could still be made during a national shutdown, a vision was born that will completely change the face of the program.
And the good news keeps getting better…
2. Transitional Living Home opening this summer
Life, as we all know, isn’t as serene as a pool. And knowing how to swim in a pool doesn’t guarantee you’ll be successful in the sea. Life is an ocean with relentless waves of challenges, stressors, and obstacles to overcome. Sometimes swimmers need a bit of supervision in harsher conditions.
So after realizing many of their residents still needed additional support after graduating the program, Refuge for Women North Texas, once again, got creative. Refuge for Women North Texas brought a year-long vision to life by pioneering a Transitional Living Home, available to program graduates. This optional transitional year provides the graduates with the covering of mentorship and assistance and offers women the opportunity to either get fully grounded in a workspace or pursue further education without having to carry all the pressure of working, schooling, and making all ends meet.
Many of these women have never lived on their own before, so the idea of working to pay rent each month is a new concept. The cost to live in the Transitional Living Home will be a certain percentage of each woman’s take-home pay. With the minimum requirement of 30 hours of either work or further education, it is a tool geared to teach them how to manage a monthly budget and rent.
And the first two residents of this home? Their very own, two new leather-smiths.
Join the fight—Protect your city and protect your people
1. Be aware of your surroundings.
According to the statistics from Texas’ Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking, the top 5 sex trafficking venues are:
Commercial front brothels
Hotels/motels
Online advertising and phishing
Escort services
Residential brothels (Yes, residential houses are being used for sexual exploitation. Yes, in Denton County. And yes, you’ve probably driven by some without even knowing it.)
2. Get educated.
Refuge for Women North Texas holds Sex Trafficking Q&A’s (a free community awareness event) each quarter to educate the public regarding sexual exploitation in our community and how you can be aware of suspicious behavior. If you’d like information on the next meeting or other ways you can build awareness within your sphere of influence, contact the North Texas team.
3. Know what to do.
When you suspect suspicious behavior that might be linked to human trafficking (paranoia, extreme anxiety, controlling behavior), the number one thing to avoid is directly approaching the men or women involved. Your intentions, although good, could cause more harm and danger to the girl you’re trying to help. Instead, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888.
Be an advocate for Refuge for Women North Texas.
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