Dear Friends,

Reclaiming Hope walks with women and girls, men and boys who’ve been freed from modern-day slavery. Those victims suffered unspeakable abuse, some for years, and in every respect— physically, emotionally, spiritually.

We’ve learned from our conversations with these victims that our words and actions can sometimes bring to mind the memory of their abuse.

We call such interactions “triggers.” We’re triggering their recall of abuse, and that can send them into a downward spiral. It can feel like one step forward, two steps back, for them and for us. The staff of Reclaiming Hope is trained in trauma-informed therapy, but we still make mistakes. and trigger those we work with. Our desire is to continue to learn, and to be a place of healing.

Have you ever been comforted when you’ve been down, when you’ve been crippled by the memory of a wrongful word, and someone said something deeply encouraging? We can be that encouraging voice to victims of trafficking and help them and ourselves on the path to a healthy life.

We’re grateful for those of you who walk with us along the path to provide opportunities for survivors to find healing, hope, and community, even families sometimes. If you’re ready to befriend a survivor, and want to learn more about our Mentor Program, let us know!

Help us on this path with your volunteer hours, prayers and donations.

Through the summer, there’s lots going on:

  • We had 3 weeks with volunteers through Next Step Ministries. Whew – new color on office walls, and lots of maintenance needs addressed.
  • We are waiting on approval from our building owners to build a ramp. Once we have permission, we need volunteers to help us pour a concrete ramp. If you can help, please let us know!
  • If you’ve been volunteering with us, please reserve August 11 to allow us to celebrate you with a picnic at the office.
  • We’re seeking sponsors for our October 11 annual fund-raising dinner. (Please connect with me if you’re curious to know more!)

We invite you to join the Human Trafficking Task Force of Southern Colorado, which meets in our office (615 Wooten Road) the 2nd Tuesday each month, 5:45-7:15 pm!

We are grateful for you.

Blessings,
Sues Hess, Exec. Dir., and the RHope Team

RSVP Here

What Can I Do?

Save the Date

Tickets for our annual fundraising dinner will be available starting August 1st, 2024. Save the date for October 11th, 2024!

Prayer

Thank you for being our prayer warriors! Please join us in praying for through our monthly prayer calendars!
July Prayer Calendar

Hope Bag Needs

We are so happy to have provided over 800 Hope Bags for the sake of survivors. That’s over 800 blankets, 800 stuffed animals, etc. Thank you, we could not provide these bags without your support (both with the tangible donations and the volunteer time). We still have empty shelves and need to refill them to send out more bags. If you are interested in seeing our Amazon Wishlist please click the link provided.
Amazon Hope Bag Wish List

Party at the Park

Save the date for some Summer Fun on July 27th! We will be at Party in the Park from 12pm - 6pm at Palmer Park in COS. Come join us for some summer fun!

Thank you to the groups who volunteered or supported Reclaiming Hope in June:

Next Steps Youth Groups

New Life Church Kids Camp

The U.N.I.C.O.R.N of Lending

We’re also grateful for the grant from Vanguard/Clara Skin Specialists

Thank you to these groups for volunteering your time at Reclaiming Hope!

Thank you to the coordinators, Marisol & Rita, of the 3rd Annual Concert Benefitting Reclaiming Hope! Shout out to School of Rock Colorado Springs and Red Rocks Rebellion for your amazing performances! We had such a blast!

Human Trafficking in the News

United Nations Must Adopt Report that Tells Truth About Prostitution… Prostitution and Violence against Women and Girls is a groundbreaking report written by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem. The report tells the truth about prostitution with astonishing clarity, examining it as a system of exploitation that perpetuates male violence against women and girls. Among many important topics, it discusses weaponized “consent,” the commodification of women, the links between pornography and prostitution, the role of demand (male sex buying behavior), and the effects they have on women’s and girls’ mental health.

#Sunset230: Time’s Up for the Greatest Enabler of Sexual Exploitation… These are true stories of victimized children who have fought tooth and nail, usually without success, to obtain justice in U.S. courts. What is standing in the way of justice for these children? Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Ask your Senator to Co-Sponsor the Take it Down Act… Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is a pervasive and damaging crime that impacts millions around the world. It involves the non-consensual distribution of sexually explicit images, leading to devastating repercussions like harassment, blackmail, and severe emotional distress. The digital age has only exacerbated this issue, allowing images to spread rapidly in seconds. Our current laws fall far short in protecting victims and holding offenders accountable.

If you would like to host a donation drive to help Reclaiming Hope prepare for the busier summer season for the Hope Bag Program,
please reach out to info@reclaiming-hope.org or call 719/425- 9405 Tues – Fri : 10am – 4pm.