Human trafficking has become a well-recognized term in the last decade. Learning that this issue is happening in our own backyards has shocked our community. Yet it has also inspired so many to step forward and join the fight. We want you to join our mission of combatting human trafficking and restoring survivors to hope. But, first, we want to tell you what makes RAHAB programming cutting edge.
RAHAB has been serving those affected by human trafficking for twenty years—that is two decades of boots-on-the-ground experience giving the highest quality of care possible to those we serve. But that is not the only thing that might set us apart. Here is a list of five things that make RAHAB’s core and care unique and on the cutting edge.
1) Continuum of Care
We provide more than a single service to the women and children we serve—we walk with them on their healing journeys from start to finish. We have multiple areas of programming that meet them where they are—whether that is jail, court, or the streets—call our ‘Pursue’ programs. ‘Pursue’ programs include Outreach and the Task Force. ‘Invite’ is an area of programming where we invite women and youth into shared spaces, build relationships with them, and meet their immediate needs. This includes Drop-In homes and Minor Mentoring. The third programming area is called ‘Home.’ ‘Home’ includes the Adult safe house, The Oaks, and The Willows. In these programs we help build long-lasting stability and independence so survivors can live independent and full lives.
With individualized case-management and authentic relationships, we ensure they receive the best possible care unique to them. We are a listening ear, a warm meal, a safe place to stay, and a friend to lean on.
2) Trauma Informed
All of our staff and direct care volunteers are trained on trauma. They attend our Essentials Training before working with anyone we serve. We provide trauma-informed care at every place of programming. This means that we recognize that all the women and children we serve may have had severe traumatic experiences in their past that influence the way they may think, feel, interpret events, and behave.
We communicate with intentionality and when they are triggered we react with therapeutic responses and help them to regulate their emotions.
An example of this would be rather than being angry or offended by someone having a particularly hard moment, we would suggest different ways to cope, like painting, throwing ice cubes into the woods, or doing a grounding exercise. We do not shame them for being upset, but rather help them regulate their emotions and then talk through the triggering event and what they were feeling. Trauma-informed care is the key to our cutting edge programming!
3) Freely Given Resources
Our services our 100% free. Any woman could walk up to our drop-in house at any time and participate in whatever activities were happening that day without paying so much as a penny.
At a speaking event, one of our employees was asked what would happen if someone was exploiting our resources. They described a woman coming in and just doing laundry and leaving. She responded that our resources could not be exploited because they are freely given. Whatever someone needs is what we want to provide them with.
4) No judgement
The people we serve do not need to clean themselves up before they come to us. We meet them in their mess and love them as they are. Those we serve have often explained how they were confused by the immediate love and support they felt from staff and volunteers they just met.
There is no earning love or respect when you come to RAHAB. You are loved and cared for from the moment we meet you and every moment after.
We believe that people are much more than their situation and don’t define them by their trauma. We want them to walk in the door free of judgement, feeling loved, seen, and heard by everyone they encounter.
5) Faith-Based
Our faith and hope in Jesus Christ influences everything we do. Our mission is to share that hope with everyone we meet. Everything we do flows from Jesus and all our strength, energy, and love flows from Him as well.
All of the things above—no judgement, freely given resources, walking with people on their whole journey, and even providing trauma-informed care—is inspired by the way Jesus walked with and loved the people around Him.
We, like Jesus, are committed to going after the one. We pursue them with love and compassion and ensure they know how deeply valued they are.
While our mission is sharing the hope of Jesus with those we serve, we do not force them to believe what we believe. They do not have to be a Christian to receive our services and can opt-in our out for any given religious activity, like Bible study.
We strive to give the best possible to care for survivors of human trafficking. We are constantly improving our existing programming as well as looking for opportunities for growth. Being dedicated to giving the best and most comprehensive care is what makes our programming cutting edge!