5 Organizations Fighting Against Sex Trafficking.

As a friend of mine who works full-time in this field explained when someone escapes sex trafficking, they still have many challenges to face. Often, they started off with challenges such as abuse, neglect or mental illness. After the woman escapes her oppressors, they have new physical and emotional scars to overcome, in addition to the underlying issues that were present prior to their being trafficked. It’s a long, complex, difficult road.

Many of our beCAUSE minded family have asked about ways to support anti-trafficking organizations (besides supporting our company through their gift box purchases).

So, we’ve highlighted 5 organizations we have personal relationships with who are on the frontlines of the fight against human trafficking. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

1. Red Oak

Based in our hometown of Austin, TX, Red Oak provides immediate aid with long-term development to support both individuals in need and communities around the world. They focus on prevention, intervention and restoration to create a well-rounded approach to tackling this complex issue.

One thing that impresses me about Red Oak is their willingness to fight through the red tape of repatriation when a woman is trafficked away from her home country. This often involves getting new identification papers for the woman, and any children that she has had during her time in the country where she was trafficked. They also have to raise funds for legal and travel expenses. It’s hard to imagine all of the work they go through for each individual woman in this situation, but I love that they fight injustice, even when red tape tries to hold them back.

To learn more about Red Oak, check them out at www.redoakhope.org.

2. Franciscan Peacemakers

With a heart for women engaged in prostitution, Franciscan Peacemakers provides a pathway to a sustainable, healthy and safe life to women engaging in prostitution due to trauma, sex trafficking or drug addiction in Milwaukee. One thing I love about their organization is they walk down the long road with these women, providing 2-years of housing as well as job training (their lotion is in a couple of our boxes). This provides these women a stepping off point as they make a huge life transition.

Read more about Franciscan Peacemaker’s mission at: https://franciscanpeacemakers.com/

3. Hon’s Honey

This group believes in the healing power of love. So do we. Their goal is to provide a dignified solution to an overwhelming problem for women at risk of addiction, abuse, poverty, sex-trafficking, and prostitution in south Baltimore. They do this by creating meaningful work for these women – helping build skills that are valuable in the marketplace, work experience and financial independence.

We purchase our honey and beard salve from this group.

Find more about Hon’s Honey at: https://www.honshoney.com/

4. International Justice Mission

Arguably the most well-known organization on the list, we identify so strongly with their message we had to include them.

IJM works to identify children and adults in the commercial sex trade and works with law enforcement to rescue the women in a safe way. Then they work with local authorities to build strong cases against the traffickers, pimps and other perpetrators. They have achieved several highly publicized convictions and have a proven track record of decreasing sexual exploitation of women in children in the countries where they work.

See more about their work and their wins at: https://www.ijm.org/our-work/sex-trafficking

5. The Refuge

This organization focuses on supporting child survivors of sex trafficking. They have built an amazing 21-building facility just east of Austin, TX to nurture these survivors in a trauma-informed, holistic way. The Refuge Ranch provides psychiatric services, education, medical services and therapeutic programs specifically designed for these minors. It is the largest long-term, live-in rehabilitation facility for child survivors or sex trafficking in the United States.

Check them out at: https://therefugeaustin.org/

According to the Polaris Project, there are more than 2,900 organizations currently working to end human trafficking. If you’re looking for a place to plug in check out the above groups or visit https://www.globalmodernslavery.org/ for more options around the world.

If you or someone you know has been sex trafficked, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline: (888)373-7888.