Stories of Hope
The following stories are of girls we have rescued. We've used pseudonyms and changed locations to protect identities.
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Allison was recently recovered from several years of abuse that began at home when her father repeatedly invited his friends to have sex with her at age 11, in their home! Seeking to relieve the pain of abuse and fearing for her life, Allison ran away and lived on the streets of her hometown and was homeless. Naturally, abuse on the streets began almost immediately; relief was nowhere in sight for Allison.
Getting into trouble with law enforcement almost became normal for Allison, and she was finally placed in the care of social services.
About a month ago, Allison was placed in our care and her mother agreed to have her attend our boarding school and care program. Allison has always been known to be a very capable student, and straight A's was not uncommon. She'll do well with our school program.
Now at age 14, Allison is on a path to healing and recovery. There are many new hurdles for her to tackle, but she is in an environment where success is always in sight and encouragement, rather than abuse, is just one smile, one tender touch or a kind word away.
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Allison was recently recovered from several years of abuse that began at home when her father repeatedly invited his friends to have sex with her at age 11, in their home! Seeking to relieve the pain of abuse and fearing for her life, Allison ran away and lived on the streets of her hometown and was homeless. Naturally, abuse on the streets began almost immediately; relief was nowhere in sight for Allison.
Getting into trouble with law enforcement almost became normal for Allison, and she was finally placed in the care of social services.
About a month ago, Allison was placed in our care and her mother agreed to have her attend our boarding school and care program. Allison has always been known to be a very capable student, and straight A's was not uncommon. She'll do well with our school program.
Now at age 14, Allison is on a path to healing and recovery. There are many new hurdles for her to tackle, but she is in an environment where success is always in sight and encouragement, rather than abuse, is just one smile, one tender touch or a kind word away.
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Katie had become involved with a dangerous group of gang members. At 14, she was engaging in risky behavior and dancing at an adult nightclub. She would leave home without telling her mother her whereabouts. Katie was very hostile towards her mom's inquiries into her behavior and activities outside the home.
Katie had injuries to her face which she would never explain, stating she could not remember how she got them. Katie had no dad in her life and mom was working late into the night, doing all she could to support her family -- a typical scenario for a child to become a potential victim of exploitation. Katie is also a very attractive girl and extremely naïve, which is often another common component. Katie's Facebook page showed she had a very provocative lifestyle and at some point acquired the nickname "Little K," another commonality.
Katie had injuries to her face which she would never explain, stating she could not remember how she got them. Katie had no dad in her life and mom was working late into the night, doing all she could to support her family -- a typical scenario for a child to become a potential victim of exploitation. Katie is also a very attractive girl and extremely naïve, which is often another common component. Katie's Facebook page showed she had a very provocative lifestyle and at some point acquired the nickname "Little K," another commonality.
Our partner team set out with a goal of rescuing this child from exploitation and sexual slavery. Through coordination with an officer of the court and her mother, they were able to rescue Katie and remove her from the area where she was living. Following the rescue, our partner team along with Karla and several other volunteers personally drove Katie to our safe house 23 hours away. During the journey, Karla engaged Katie in positive conversation, giving her reassuring thoughts about her placement into our program. Karla gained Katie's trust, and learned that Katie has a friend who is currently missing. It is likely this child's disappearance is also directly linked to the adult nightclub with which Katie was involved.
Katie had a difficult first day in the program. She was angry, confused and not happy. We could see this was a child who had missed out on most of her childhood. However, every so often we could see the child in her when she would talk about a movie or book she liked, which were very childlike in nature. This behavior gives us hope that deep down all Katie wants is a child's life. Now, Katie is calming down and seems to be settling in.
Thanks to you, Allison and Katie have hope for a different future! A few weeks ago heartbreak and pain were a daily routine. Today is another day in the recovery of their stolen childhoods they so deserve.
Katie had a difficult first day in the program. She was angry, confused and not happy. We could see this was a child who had missed out on most of her childhood. However, every so often we could see the child in her when she would talk about a movie or book she liked, which were very childlike in nature. This behavior gives us hope that deep down all Katie wants is a child's life. Now, Katie is calming down and seems to be settling in.
Thanks to you, Allison and Katie have hope for a different future! A few weeks ago heartbreak and pain were a daily routine. Today is another day in the recovery of their stolen childhoods they so deserve.