Art and Faces of Hope

The Pain

 
This Saturday will be the second annual Faces of Hope Gala and Silent Auction to raise money to provide housing for the victims of sex trafficking in our area.

As you know, this issue is close to my heart. I have been involved with an outreach to prostitutes and strip clubs since 2007. I have written extensively here on my blog about this issue and the one thing that has always been a main frustration for those of us on the ground, as point of contact people in this fight against trafficking, is that there is not enough housing that also provides rehabilitation services for these girls. Sure, there are tones of homeless shelters, battered women's shelters, runaway shelters, but there are only a hand full of houses around the U.S. that are specifically for people rescued from domestic trafficking. The people at Trafficking Hope are working to remedy this.

The guest speaker this year is Linda Smith, founder of Shared Hope International. From the Shared Hope website...

Linda Smith
President and Founder, Shared Hope International

In 1998, while a member of the U.S. Congress, Linda Smith traveled to Falkland Road in Mumbai, India – one of the worst brothel districts in the world. The hopeless faces of desperate women and children forced into prostitution compelled Linda to found Shared Hope International.

Believing that authentic rescue requires restoration also, Linda focused Shared Hope's efforts around “one life at a time” and what it would take to make that life whole again – a safe home, education, spiritual renewal, and life skills. From the first Village of Hope until today, Linda has kept Shared Hope aligned with that goal.

To build momentum in the international anti-trafficking movement, Linda founded the War Against Trafficking Alliance (WATA) in January of 2001, which two years later co-sponsored a World Summit with the U.S. Department of State. Government leaders and local service providers from 114 nations came together to collaborate on regional strategies for protecting the vulnerable from the sex trade.

Linda wrote the book, "Renting Lacy" which I reviewed here on the blog last year.  It's a must read book if you care about the children being sold into the sex industry here in the U.S.

I have donated the painting above that I painted specifically for this event. It's called "The Pain". You can bid on it at the silent auction Saturday night, along with many other great items and all of the money goes toward building a rehabilitation home in our area for the victims of sex trafficking.

Please go purchase your tickets today at traffickinghope.org