April is National Minority Health Month.  Did you know that Women of Color are at a higher risk of human trafficking than other groups?

While Black women and girls represent only 7.2% of the U.S. population, the Human Trafficking Reporting System found that 40% of trafficking cases in America are of Black women and girls. In President Biden’s 2021 plan to combat human trafficking, the White House reported, “There are strong indicators that Black and Latino women and girls are disproportionately represented among human trafficking victims and survivors identified in many communities. […] There are other factors that correlate with a higher risk of human trafficking victimization, such as recent migration or relocation, substance misuse, unstable housing, abuse, childhood trauma, and mental health issues.” 

In addition to having a history of childhood abuse and neglect, foster care placement, time in the juvenile justice system, other key risk factors for trafficking include being a runaway or homeless youth, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, disabled or being a racial and/or ethnic minority. 

When we think about the goal for this month⁠—”to advance health equity across the country on behalf of all racial and ethnic minorities”⁠—it’s important we pray about the way women are perceived in our country and the disparities that increase the risk for these populations to be taken advantage of by traffickers. 

At Reclaiming Hope, because we want to help you understand various aspects of trafficking, we share resources for action and learning more: 

May this verse be your prayer as you consider what this month means and how we can help those around us: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” -Proverbs 31:8-9  

In prayers and in Christ, 
Sues Hess
Executive Director

IN THE NEWS AND RESOURCES

The 2022 Dirty Dozen List by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation
How many of these corporations, apps, entities do you interact with on a daily basis? The Dirty Dozen List is an annual campaign calling out twelve mainstream entities for facilitating, enabling, and even profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation. This year, Etsy, Netflix, Meta and Reddit make the list. 
*PRAISE* See the victories won since the 2021 Dirty Dozen List was released last year!

Women of the White Buffalo Documentary Streaming
This feature documentary by Deborah Anderson follows the stories of nine Lakota women living on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The goal of this documentary is to shed light on some of the forces that perpetuate racism, abuse, and inequality against native women. It will begin streaming April 12 on Amazon, Google Plus, Apple TV and Vudu. 

Bakhita Mountain House Opens in Colorado Springs
The Benet Hill Monastery is ready to open its first non-denominational home, which will be one of the few places in Colorado for adult women who are victims of sex trafficking to stay. They are currently screening applicants!

PRAYER REQUESTS 

Thank you for being our prayer warriors! Please join us in praying for the following this month:
  • Survivors have so many needs! We are adding a part-time staff position to help manage their needs; please pray that the right person joins us at the right time, and that they have a heart and calling to work with Survivors.
  • Pray for Mentees with court cases. Pray they would be kept safe and have positive outcomes. 
  • Pray for a Mentee’s relationship with her mom, especially as she has become a new mom herself.
  • Praise that a new connection between Mentee and Mentor is going well and the Mentee is opening up to the Mentor already! 
  • Pray for more consistent jobs for several Mentees.
  • Pray for a Mentee to find local support in another state.
  • Pray for the classes that Mentees are taking towards degree programs.
  • Praise for one Mentee doing well in therapy. Help her to process why she feels pulled towards rebellion.
  • Prayer and Praise for our newly trained Mentors! May they be the hands and feet of Christ to the women in our program.
  • Praise that our housing has been instrumental in stabilizing one Mentee.
We now make a daily prayer calendar (by the month) available on our website. You can find it on our Home Page as well as under the tab “What Can I Do?” (because prayer is the best thing we can always do!) 

HOPE BAG REQUEST

We could use your help! We have already shipped 174 Hope Bags to our law enforcement partners this year! This is amazing! It also means we are in need of items for our Hope Bags. A special need is for Fleece Blankets. We need them to be 50” x 60”, one layer. More details can be found on our website! 

THANK YOU 

Reclaiming Hope can only meet the needs of Survivors as our community equips us to do so. We are grateful for each person who helps – through donations for our mentees, our Hope Bags, and financial donations, and by volunteering. And we’re grateful for the following groups and organizations that have worked with us in the last few months! Thank you!

DONATE HERE