“Send Love, Bring Joy, Spread Freedom”

From a great group at Ashland University:

The Human Trafficking Awareness Group at Ashland University held a small fundraiser for Gracehaven this past week.  In the celebration of Valentine’s Day, our group sold valentine cards with Fair Trade chocolates on the inside.  We thought it would be great if we could support anti-trafficking on two ends of the spectrum: 1) by supporting Fair Trade farmers through purchasing Fair Trade chocolate and 2) by donating all of the revenues to the rehabilitation efforts at Gracehaven.

Our motto for the sale was: send Love, bring Joy, spread Freedom.  The idea behind it was by sending a valentine, the purchaser is sending someone a note of love, which brings joy to the recipient and the $1 donation goes to support bringing freedom to victims of human trafficking.  After two days of selling valentines, we raised a little over $130 for Gracehaven!  We are very pleased with how the sale went. I attached a photo of our table and of some of the wonderful members of HTAG who helped out with the sale.

Thank you to everyone who organized and participated in this, it is truly heartwarming to read about!

~Gracehaven Staff

Gracehaven House Workday Cancelled

The Deconstruction Workday planned for Saturday 2/6/2010 has been cancelled due to the weather.

Reschedule dates are: Thursday 2/11/2010 and Saturday 2/13/2010 same carpool locations and time.

Contact: Katie Talbott ktalbott@gracehavenhouse.org

Upcoming Benefit Concert

Date: Saturday, Jan 30, 2010
Time: 9:00 pm
Venue:2351 N 4th St Columbus, OH 43202
Featuring: Tin Armor, Iron Lake, Trains Across the Sea, Ruth Welsh
Cost: $5 cover to benefit Gracehaven House
Contact: Devin Braun braundevin@yahoo.com

Renovation Update – January 2010

We’re now able to begin the renovation of the house we purchased last summer. While we’ve not raised all the money necessary to complete the renovation, we feel we’ve raised a sufficient amount that allows us to start the work to convert the house into a 5-bedroom facility, and make the necessary changes that will enable us to achieve licensure in the State of Ohio. We are on track to meet our goal of being able to open and begin sheltering girls sometime in the summer of 2010 because of the sacrificial support of givers such as the two of you! I can’t tell you how excited our team is to take this next step!

Thank you to those who have been supporting the work of Gracehaven, especially your prayers! We are where we are today because of the help and support of amazing people like you!

Volunteer Training A Success

We thank God that the weather did not interfere with our volunteer training that was held this past Saturday (January 9, 2010) at Xenos Church in Westerville. 35 people were in attendance. Thank you to everyone who attended for sacrificing their Saturday, and a huge thank you to the volunteers who helped with lunch, snacks, and registration.

An announcement will be sent out via our biweekly newsletter when a future training will be held.

Awareness

Walk a Mile In Her Shoes Awareness Event, June 2009

Theresa Flores, Director or Awareness and Training has reached 2 Million across the United States, including 1 million in Ohio on the topic of Human Trafficking. Sample touchpoints include:

• Public Speaking
  Zonta Event – November 2009
  Trafficking Conference with CORRC – June 2009
• TV Appearances
  Today Show Appearance – February 2009
  MSNBC Special – February 2009
• Newspaper Articles
  Columbus Dispatchs – January 2009
• Magazine Articles
  614 Magazine – October 2009
• Radio Appearances
• Journal Entries

*Note, this list highlights exceptional events, and is not a complete list of awareness initiatives.

Training

Gracehaven has been partnering with local comunity leaders and direct service providers to train and equip them to better serve victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in Central Ohio. Organizations that have, or currently are involved with training are:

• Ohio Commission
• Healthcare Professionals
• Franklin County Children’s Services
• Foster Parents
• Other Social Agencies

Saving Lives

We have already been contacted by 5 girls who have experienced being trafficked. To meet the needs of these girls we have hired Megan Crawford, liscenced social worker, to provide counseling and other healing resources for these girls.

We aim to be able to provide a safe housing option for girls under the age of eighteen by July 2010. To this aim, we have purchased a house and property outside of Columbus, and are in the process of renovating it to become a safe and welcoming environment for these girls. Our program will include a safe home, education, counseling, mentoring, life skills development, and exposure to the healing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The cost of the house is $200,000, with another $150,000 for renovations. We estimate a total budget of $1.6 Million to deliver on these services until 2012.

Gracehaven receives $500 check from Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs

The Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs West Central District President Marianne L. Nave presented a $500 check from the GFWC/OFWC Treasurer Sharon Pervo to Gracehaven representative Roxy Wilt. Our thanks go out to Elaine Altstaetter, WCD Domestic Violence Awareness Chairman, for connecting Gracehaven with the Ohio Federation of Women’s Clubs. In addition clubs are assembling kits of personal items for the girls at Gracehaven because they have nothing of their own when they are found and rescued.

Recent News Story

By Denise Yost
Managing Editor, nbc4i.com
Published: August 5, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Central Ohioans may feel removed from human trafficking, but sex slavery is happening in Ohio every day.

FAST FACTS:

• Ohio ranks fifth in the nation for this underground crime, most notable due to the state’s highway system.
• Trafficking puts between 100,000 and 300,000 U.S. children at risk each year.
• Human trafficking is the world’s third largest illegal industry, bringing in about $36 billion annually.
• The illegal industry claims 12 million sex slaves worldwide.

But there is good news for victims of the crime: a house will soon be available to help women in Central Ohio get back on their feet.

A worn split rail fence borders a piece of property in Northwest Columbus, and it could bring peace to young women worn down from a difficult life.

“My goal right now is to have it open and have the girls by July 1, 2010,“ said Jeff Barrows, executive director of Gracehaven.

Until now, the home for teens exploited in the commercial sex trades had no home.

“They experience trauma. They experience pain. If they’re ready to come out, there’s a lot of help we can give these girls,“ Barrows said.

Within the last month, Gracehaven bought a 9.5-acre property, and the 4,000 square foot home that sits on it will become a group home for up to ten girls who were abused and used in the sex trade.

There are only three homes like Gracehaven in the country.

Barrows admitted that the house needs work, including dismantling a sauna and removing a former Jacuzzi room, but the transformation of the house will mirror the eventual transformation of the home’s residents.

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