S A F E H A V E N R E F U G E Human Trafficking Project HUMAN TRAFFICKING VOLUNTEER OVERVIEW REVISED 07/17/15 8525 Broadway, Ste 202-247, Pearland, TX 77581 telephone: 844-212-1382 fax: 281-605-6670 www.mysafehavenrefuge.org
Doctrinal Statement Godhead We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfection. Although their eternal relationship is inscrutable, there is no priority or superiority between the three persons. Each person of the Godhead is equally worthy of the same homage, confidence, and obedience. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:18-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4, II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6) Jesus Christ We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, death on the cross to provide for our redemption, bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven, present ministry of intercession for us, and His return to earth in power and glory. (John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:6-7; Matthew 1:20-21; Luke 1:34-35; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 4:18-19; I Peter 3:18; I Timothy 2:4-6; I Corinthians 15:1-5, 12-20: Hebrews 7:25; I Thessalonians 4:13-18: Acts 1:10-11; Matthew 26:64; Revelation 19:11-16) The Scriptures We believe in the divine, plenary and verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. The whole Bible is inspired in the sense that holy men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit to write the very words of Scripture. This divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the writings as appeared in the original manuscripts. Therefore, the whole Bible, in the originals, is without error. As the revelation of God, we believe the Bible to be the sole authority and sufficiency with regard to Christian faith and practice. The Scriptures center upon the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work, in His first and Second Coming, and hence no portion is properly read or understood until it leads to Him. The Christian s responsibility and duty is to handle accurately the Word of Truth. The reading and interpretation of the Scriptures is to be under the guidance and illumination of the Holy Spirit. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 17:2-3; Romans 15:4; I Corinthians 2:12-16; II Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21) Man We believe that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God. Adam fell through sin. As a consequence of his sin he lost his spiritual life. He became dead in trespasses and sin and became subject to the power of the devil. This spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, has been transmitted to the entire human race of man, the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted. Thus every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but also is essentially and unchangeably sinful apart from divine grace. (Genesis 1:26, 2:17, 6:5; Psalm 14:1-3, 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:6, 5:40, 6:35; Romans 3:10-19, 8:6-7; Ephesians 2:1-3; I Timothy 5:6; I John 3:8) 2
Salvation We believe that, due to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again. No degree of reformation, no attainments in morality, no baptism or other ordinance or other good works can help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven. Our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin and was made a curse for us by dying in our place. (Leviticus 17:11; Isaiah 64:6; Matthew 26:28; John 3:7-18; Romans 5:6-9; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13, 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; I Peter 1:18-19, 1:23) We believe that the new birth of the believer comes only through faith in Christ and that repentance is a vital part of believing. Repentance is not in itself a separate and independent condition of salvation. Nor are any other acts, such as confession, baptism, prayer, faithful service, or manifestation of certain spiritual gifts, to be added to believing as a condition of salvation. (John 1:12, 3:16, 18, 36, 5:24, 6:29, 14:6; Acts 13:39, 16:31; Romans 1:16-17, 3:22, 26, 4:5, 10:4; Galatians 3:22) We believe it is the privilege, not only of some, but of all who are born again by the Spirit through faith in Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, to be assured of their salvation from the very day they take Him to be their Savior. This assurance is not founded upon any discovery of their own worthiness or fitness, but wholly upon the testimony of God in His written Word. Such assurance will motivate in God s children love, gratitude, and obedience to His commands. (Luke 10:20; John 6:37, 10:28-30; II Corinthians 5:1, 6-8; Ephesians 1:13-14; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 10:22; I Peter 1:3-5; I John 5:13) The Church We believe that all those who have been redeemed by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ form the Body of Christ, the church. We also believe in the local church as the body of believers in a geographic locale who meet together to worship and serve God, observe the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord s Supper, and work together to further the gospel of Christ. (I Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:18) The Great Commission We believe the explicit message and mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ is to make disciples of all the nations. During His post-resurrection ministry Christ gave two particular commands. First in Matthew 28, Jesus commands us to Go and make disciples of all the nations. Secondly, just before His ascension, in Acts 1:8, we are called to be witnesses to the remotest parts of the earth. The greatest responsibility and privilege of the church is to serve as ambassadors and witnesses for Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; John 17:18; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:18-20; I Peter 1:17-19, 2:11) 3
Core Values Commitment: Safe Haven Refuge will pursue every opportunity to share Jesus as the Holy Spirit leads. Integrity: Safe Haven Refuge will remain true to the message of the Gospel and in reporting what God is doing. Stewardship: Safe Haven Refuge will maintain high financial standards and will maximize resources provided by God. Mobilization: Safe Haven Refuge will mobilize any/all Great Commission Christians to help those hurting find hope in Jesus. Partnership: Safe Haven Refuge will actively cooperate with those who share this mission. Leadership: Safe Haven Refuge will provide leadership and develop new platforms to share the name of Jesus with those hurting. Mission Statement Safe Haven Refuge exists to serve victims of Domestic Violence Sexual Abuse Human Trafficking To help these victims find healing and hope and become survivors through Biblical Counseling Discipleship 4
What is Human Trafficking? The illegal trade of humans against their will for the purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labor or modern-day slavery. The United Nations defines human trafficking as: The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Types of Human Trafficking 1) Sex Trafficking 1) Example: Two women from Japan are brought into Houston under the pretense that they will receive jobs as hostesses or waitresses. When they arrive, they are held captive and forced into prostitution, while their captor controls the money they receive. 2) Forced Labor (aka involuntary servitude) - The biggest sector of trafficking in the world, according to the US Department of State 1) Example: A family gives up a child to an adoption agent in Ethiopia because they cannot afford to care for him. He is then, in turn, sold to a sweatshop owner who forces the child to learn to sew garments without pay for hours each day. The child receives minimal nutrition and does not attend school. 3) Debt Bondage - An individual forced to work in order to pay a debt. 1) Example: A young woman from Mexico has a debt and is desperate to pay it off. A man who presents himself as an employment agent offers her a job in the U.S. as a domestic employee. She arrives in Houston with a valid visa but it and her passport are taken from her. She is brought to a home where her movement is restricted. She is then told that she must work as a housekeeper to pay off the cost of her travel or her family will be killed. 4) Child Sex-Trafficking 1) Example: A 15 year-old boy runs away from his home in Austin to Houston, where he lives on the street. He is seduced by a pimp who coerces him into participating in a prostitution ring and controls all the profits generated.. Survivor Needs Survivors of human trafficking have been or were forced, tricked or misled into modern-day slavery. They have experienced trauma beyond what our minds can imagine. They may lack linguistic skills. It is no wonder they struggle with basic day-to-day functioning. 5
Human Trafficking Statistics 1) Globally, the average cost of a slave is $90 per hour. 2) Trafficking primarily involves exploitation which comes in many forms, including: forcing victims into prostitution, subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude and compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography. 3) According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation. 4) There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today. 5) According to the U.S. Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and half are children. 6) The average age a teen enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14 years old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children. 7) California harbors 3 of the FBI s 13 highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation: Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. 8) The National Human Trafficking Hotline receives more calls from Texas than any other state in the US. 15% of those calls are from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. 9) Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. each year. 10) Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking). It reportedly generates a profit of $32 billion every year. Of that number $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries. 11) The International Labor Organization estimates that women and girls represent the largest share of forced labor victims with 11.4 million trafficked victims (55%) compared to 9.5 million (45%) men. History of Human Trafficking The historians argue on when human trafficking began. Some say in the 1400s. Others say during the 1700s. Either way, it has been around for years. The British were the first to make a law against slavery in 1807. In 1820, the U.S. followed Great Britain s example. During 1899 and 1902 international conferences were organized in Paris to discuss white slavery. In 1904 an international agreement against white slave trade was created. The focus of this agreement was on migrant women and children. The first World War halted the efforts of trafficking white women until 1921. It was at that time the terms were changed from white slavery to traffic of women and children. At this time, male children were also recognized as victims. During the conference, 33 countries signed. 6
Strategy Research Where are needs? " Locate Human Trafficking businesses in and around: " " SE Houston " " Pearland " " Pasadena " " Deer Park " " LaPorte " Coordinate with SHR staff and police to verify business as human trafficking location Where are resources? Estimated monthly budget " " " $6,000 Financial Needs" " " " " Assessment Location " " " " " " Safe House " " " " " " Counseling Staff " " " " " " Safe House Hosts " " " " " " Other, as needed " Donations - Supplies and Gifts for the women " " Travel Size toiletries: " " " toothpaste" " body wash/soap" " " conditioner " " " toothbrush" " hand sanitizer" " " deodorant " " " floss" " " loofah (small)" " " shampoo " " " chap stick" " feminine products" " candy/gum " " " shampoo" " hair brush and/or comb" " " " Bags: " Clear Cosmetic Bags" Gallon Size Drawstring Bag (for those that sew) 7
Rescue In the Rescue stage, we are to minister. We will not escort any ladies out. We will allow the police to do that. No man will enter the business. If a situation occurs, the driver will call 911 for assistance." This is a volunteer opportunity where you may not see a great deal of change or you might begin to build that relationship and the traffickers move the victims. Knowing this, we still have the goal of regular visits. Each group will be assigned a weekend to minister. If you are unable to make your weekend, please make arrangements with another volunteer. The team will meet with their SHR staff or Board Member prior to the visit and a designated location. They will pray together. The SHR staff or Board Member will not go on the visits. After the visit, the team will meet with their SHR staff or Board Member at the same location for a quick debrief and prayer. If someone expresses interest to leave:: 1) If there are minors in the building, working, leave immediately and let your SHR Board Member know. We will contact the police and let them intervene. 2) If there are ladies who express interest in leaving and have the ability to move outside of the eye of their owner, they can contact a hotline number, that will be located within their goodie bag. They will inform the hotline of where they are waiting and we will send someone to pick them up and transport them to a local women s shelter or other designated aftercare location. 3) If there are ladies who express interest in leaving but are watched carefully by their owner, get their name and their working schedule. We will contact the police for intervention. 8
Drivers (male only) We will have at least 1 man on the team who will drive the ladies to the location. This man will sit outside the business in his car where he can see the door. If we do not have at least 1 man, we cannot go on the visit. Responsibility: 1) Drive the vehicle 2) Provide an extra (on-site) contact for the ladies inside 3) Contact local PD if an issue seems to be arising 4) Keep the Board Member for that weekend in the loop regarding any issues or potential issues Active Ministry (ladies only) We will have at 3 ladies on the team. If we do not have at least 2 ladies, we cannot go on the visit. While visiting, please do not mention Safe Haven Refuge and/or names of SHR staff or Board Members. They will meet us only if they choose to get out. Responsibility: 1) Request entrance to the business 2) Request to speak with the ladies 3) Take gifts and get to know the ladies Complete training for the Rescue operation will occur prior to visiting any human trafficking location. If it is discovered that any volunteer knowingly went against guidelines, they will be asked to not go on anymore visits with SHR. 9
Restore - Aftercare We have a very short time with some of the ladies (possibly one or two sessions). It is vital that we meet them where they are and introduce them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ." Intake Volunteers who are trained in Biblical Counseling (or completed Introduction to Biblical Counseling) can complete a basic intake of victims who have escaped. Assessment Volunteers who are fully trained in Biblical Counseling and/or hold their LPC and/or LSW can complete assessment. However those who hold their LPC or LSW and have not completed at least an Introduction to Biblical Counseling, will need to complete the class. Counseling Biblical Counseling Certified LPC with Biblical Counseling Training (started or completed) LSW with Biblical Counseling Training (started or completed) Safe House The ability to live and be a resident advocate for our victims while they are in short term or long term housing. The ability to lead discipleship groups with those living in short term or long term housing. The ability to teach Biblical Training classes to those who live in long term housing. 10
Pray - If you are here today, then you are committing to pray. Pray for the Safe Haven Refuge Board for guidance and clarity. Pray for the many other organizations that are fighting this with us for guidance and clarity. Pray for the women volunteers who are led by God to go in and minister to these victims. Pray for the male volunteers who are led by God to drive and protect our women volunteers. Pray for the victims to see that God is their only way to freedom. Pray for the counseling staff. Pray for the funds and supplies to provide for these victims. Pray for the funds to house those victims who choose to escape. Pray for those that feel led to work in the assessment homes and transitional homes. Pray to find out where God wants you to get involved If you are interested in any of the volunteer positions, please go to our website at www.mysafehavenrefuge.org for a Volunteer application. If you are interested in any of the staff positions, please email your letter of interest and your resume with at least three professional references to angela@mysafehavenrefuge.org. If you are interested in becoming a monthly donor, please fill out the donor card or sign up online at www.mysafehavenrefuge.org under the donations tab. Resources www.dosomething.org www.sf-hrc.org www.elijahrising.org redeemedministries.com 11