EUM Church Silent Auction A Success!

Thank you to everyone from Darke County who participated in last Friday’s Silent Auction to benefit Gracehaven. Wonderful Hors d’oeuvres were provided along with live worship music. Katie Talbott, Executive Assistant at Gracehaven spoke on the topic of human trafficking. A short music video produced by Take No Glory was shown.

The event was covered by local WCTN News.

ONN News Article Featuring Theresa and Tabitha Woodruff

Theresa is interviewed about her experiences; Tabitha explains pending Ohio legislation (currently Ohio is one of just 14 states without anti-human trafficking laws in place)

Read entire ONN News Article:

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/onnnews/stories/2010/05/06/story_human_trafficking_promotable.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=102

Ohio one of Worst States for Human Trafficking Laws

Ten Worst States, according to Polaris Project:

• Alaska
• Colorado
• Hawaii
• Massachusetts
• Ohio
• South Caroline
• South Dakota
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wyoming

States are evaluated on the strength and inclusion of statutes on: 1) Sex trafficking 2) Labor trafficking 3) Assett forfeiture for human trafficking crimes 4) Training on human trafficking for law enforcement 5) Human trafficking commision, task force or advisory committee 6) Posting of a human trafficking hotline 7) Safe harbor 8) No requirement for force fraud or coercion for minors 9) Victim assistance 10) Civil remedy

Wrap-up – Circus House Fringe Stage and Fundraiser

June 25-26, 2010

Purpose/vision

• Host a fringe stage at The Circus House outside Comfest to raise money and awareness to combat human trafficking in Ohio
• Restore a piece of Comfest to its original vision of community building.
• Give Gracehaven platform to highlight important underground issue at event where trafficking could happen (tens of thousands of people)
• Give God’s people in the neighborhood a way to serve together from all different churches
• Raise money by selling water, iced coffee, freeze pops, artsy headbands, popcorn, and cotton candy (in keeping with the circus theme of the host home and booth design). Bands were also slated to play (many of whom are featured on the Gracehaven CD) and a silent art auction was scheduled for Saturday night.

Process

• Things were off to a good start on Friday until one Comfest volunteer, over the period of several hours, by contacting various city officials, was able to get us shut down, first from selling anything and later to get the bands silenced. We were so disappointed and went to bed, ready to come back in the morning to clean everything up.
• In the morning, phones began to ring and e-mails went out announcing the move of God’s hand in the night on behalf of His praying people. At 1:30 AM, after Comfest’s debriefing meeting, the Comfest leaders invited Fritz Harding to a meeting with them. They were appalled at what had happened to us and apologized profusely to us and told us that what we were doing is exactly what they want Comfest to be about. They invited us to come into the park and sell our water at the main entrance in the best spot of the whole festival! And we could have the bands play on our stage acoustically.
• Victory in Jesus! We were back on with our fundraising but inside the park instead of across the street and our human trafficking awareness and petitions were going inside with us. We mobilized the troops and throughout the whole day we had teams of people, including families with their children, manning our water sales station on both sides of the sidewalk along with petitions and a booth on human trafficking. We had a blast and sold all 3500 bottles of water on a sultry 90+ degree day. We got tons of signatures on our petitions and made many new friends among the Comfest crowd.
• The next week, one of the original founders of Comfest stopped by the circus house to again apologize for us being shut down and began to share with us some ideas for next year. He said what we did at the circus house was what they used to do when the festival began and was eager to have us involved on a greater level.

Outcomes

• Several hundred people signed the Gracehaven petition for new trafficking laws
• Lots of indepth conversations with festivalgoers to teach about human trafficking in Ohio
• $500 raised for Gracehaven

Hopes moving forward

• On the next Sunday morning as one of our prayer team thanked the Lord and reveled in His glory that He manifested to us, He gave her this word:

  These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Rev. 3:7-8

  As she inquired about the door that had been opened before us, she knew that it was the door of joining Him in the things that only God can do – not what man can do with God’s help. We’re excited to see what God has in store!

• Initial thoughts include: Joining the Comfest planning committee to serve, influence, and love and hosting a fundraiser next year at Comfest too, maybe with a broader scope.

Thank you for being such an important part of this with you! While we weren’t able to raise as much money as we hoped, we know God used it for His purposes. Blessings to you from the people of God in Victorian Village.

Thank you to JP Morgan Chase!

With 1,705 votes, we landed the #102 spot in 200 slots for $20,000. This grant will help pay for utilities for the first six months when the house opens, before state funding kicks in.

Thank you to JP Morgan Chase for your generosity. Thank you to everyone who braved the confusion of the facebook application maze and voted for us!

Check out the Columbus Dispatch Article

Congratulations to the other 199 organizations who also made it to the top – may God Bless your efforts!

Together Breaking Chains Golf Outing

Download Golf Flier (.doc)

Take your game to whole new level as we come together to support the fight against Human Trafficking

When: Saturday, August 28, 2010
Where: Bent Tree Golf Club
350 Bent Tree Road
Sunbury, OH 43074
Time: 1:30pm Shotgun Start
Registration: Starts at 12:00pm (Noon)
Cost: $60 per Person
Format: 4 Person Scramble
Includes: 18 Holes of Golf w/Cart, Dinner Banquet, Special Contest Awards, Prizes, Raffle, etc…

Every participant will receive a voucher for a BUY ONE ROUND OF GOLF AND GET ONE ROUND FREE at Bent Tree for a future date.

“PAID” RSVP required by Monday, 16 August, 2010
(Limited to first 144 paid entries / must provide Name + Address, Phone, or E-mail at RSVP)
Contact: Brit-Nicholle
Cell: (614) 937-1052
E-mail: togetherbreakingchains@ymail.com
Payment Methods: Visa by Phone (contact Brit-Nicholle above)
Checks made payable to: Bent Tree Golf Club
Mail checks to: P.O. Box 1894
Westerville, OH 43086-1894

Gracehaven seeks through Christian love to provide shelter and rehabilitation to girls under the age of 18 who have been victims of commercial sexual exploitation, and to raise awareness among young women about the issue of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) in order to educate and equip them so that they can avoid becoming victims themselves.

Gracehaven (a non-profit established in 2008) is the only organization in Ohio focusing on domestic minor sex trafficking. They will add 10 beds to the total of 55 in the United States for human trafficking victims when their shelter opens. They have obtained 501(c) 3 tax exempt status with the IRS in December of 2008.

Gracehaven Needs Your Click

Thank you for being a Gracehaven supporter! You can help Gracehaven earn up to $250,000 Chase Community Giving Grant through Facebook. It’s easy!

Click here for the link to Facebook to
VOTE NOW!

Facebook users:
1. After going to your Facebook home page, type “Chase Community Giving” in the search box.
2. After going to the Chase page, type in “Gracehaven” in the “charity name” box.
3. Click on Gracehaven and vote.
4. Very important!: Invite your friends! Don’t leave this opportunity to chance; do what you can to spread the word to other people you know; call, tweet, linkedin and e-mail them.

We have until July 12 to vote. The 200 grants with the most votes receive money. You can vote for Gracehaven more than once!!

Let’s let the power of Facebook empower Gracehaven to heal and give hope to many young girls!

There is another similar shelter opening in Colorado also in the running that you can also vote for here: Mercy Project, Colorado

Sincerely,

Cathy Treyens

The Wrecking Concert June 30

“Together Breaking Chains” Softball Tournament

Take your game to whole new level as we come together to support the fight against Human Trafficking!
Download a flyer to share with everyone!

When: Saturday, July 24^th, 2010  /  First Pitch 9:00 am

Where: Hoff Park
556 McCorkle Blvd
Westerville, OH 43082

Cost: $160 per Team (limited to 1^st 8 teams in each division)

Divisions: Men’s Rec & Co-Ed (3 Game Guarentee)

Registration Deadline: Friday, July 16^th, 2010 (Due by Coach’s Meeting)

To Register, Contact: Brit-Nicholle Bethel
Cell: (614) 937-1052
E-mail: togetherbreakingchains@ymail.com

Payment Methods: Cash, Money Orders, and Checks

Checks made payable to:
Mail checks to:

Gracehaven
P.O. Box 1894
Westerville, OH 43086-1894

***** 100% proceeds go directly to Gracehaven House *****

Players, encourage your family and friends to get involved in supporting this fight against Human Trafficking here in Ohio. As you aim to strike one out against Human Trafficking ask them to sponsor you. Just get 5 to 10 family or friends to sponsor $5-$10, it’s just that easy. Their support with your participation is what it takes to come together to break the chains of Human Trafficking. Please bring any sponsor support to the Concessions building located next to the diamonds. Thanks to all that choose to support.

2010 TIP Report

Here is the link for the 2010 Tip Report:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/142979.pdf

“The Report, for the first time, includes a ranking of the United States based on the same standards to which we hold other countries. The United States takes its first-ever ranking not as a reprieve but as a responsibility to strengthen global efforts against modern slavery, including those within America. This human rights abuse is universal, and no one should claim immunity from its reach or from the responsibility to confront it.” (H. Clinton)

According to UNICEF, as many as two million children are
subjected to prostitution in the global commercial sex trade.
International covenants and protocols obligate criminalization
of the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The use of
children in the commercial sex trade is prohibited under both
U.S. law and the Palermo Protocol as well as by legislation in
countries around the world. There can be no exceptions and
no cultural or socioeconomic rationalizations preventing the
rescue of children from sexual servitude. Sex trafficking has
devastating consequences for minors, including long-lasting
physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/
AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition,
social ostracism, and possible death.

Page 13, 2010 TIP Report

Case Study: United States:

Harriet ran away from home when she was 11 years
old and moved in with a 32-year-old man who sexually
and physically abused her and convinced her to
become a prostitute. In the next two years, Harriet
became addicted to drugs and contracted numerous
sexually transmitted diseases. The police arrested
Harriet when she was 13 and charged her with committing
prostitution. They made no efforts to find her
pimp. Harriet was placed on probation for 18 months
in the custody of juvenile probation officials. Her
lawyers have appealed the decision, arguing that since
she could not legally consent to sex, she cannot face
prostitution-related charges.

Page 30, 2010 TIP Report

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