My journey started in 2008, when my husband and I became foster parents. I heard over and over again stories of children being sexually exploited by their family members, foster caregivers or pimps. This exploitation occurs on the internet or through selling them for sex to obtain drugs or money. I began to research how large this problem is in the US. I believed sex trafficking was only going on in other countries. How naïve I was! It’s widespread and is happening all over the US. In fact, there's over 100,000 US children exploited in the commercial sex industry annually right here in our midst.

When the FBI rescues people enslaved in forced sexual exploitation, they take them to shelters, foster care or a mental institution. However, these women and children need a comprehensive and safe home to begin their healing. That is our vision for Hopewood Haven. We are desperately trying to open a home for several of these waiting victims of this horrific crime. We pray you will consider partnering with us to help these precious people. As I recently heard a survivor of sex-trafficking state, “One more day is too long.”