It is one thing to know that human trafficking is an issue in our community, but it is another to actively join the fight against it. In middle school I learned what human trafficking was, but I had absolutely no idea how to help stop it. An adult I was talking to about it told me that there was nothing I could do about it. I should just accept that and move on. I felt angry and hurt, but, ultimately, I believed him.
After three years as a volunteer and staff member for RAHAB, I can say truthfully that everyone can help put an end to human trafficking. I want to share with you the ways you can come alongside RAHAB Ministries and the survivors we serve.
1) Volunteer
We value our volunteers immensely. They are a huge part of our mission and help us accomplish everything from administrative tasks to direct care.
Almost all of our direct care programming is assisted by volunteers, including our drop-in houses, minor mentoring, and street teams. We are always looking for mentors for our minors so we never have to turn a child away from our services.
Although most of our direct care volunteers are adult women, there are other ways to volunteer! I personally started out as an office volunteer. I helped to pack gifts for street teams, organized donations, and updated email lists. We have had volunteers help build desks, transport large items, and make meals.
Another way to volunteer is by offering your special skill. We partner with mechanics, artists, and instructors of all kinds to provide the best care and programming to survivors.
2) Become a Financial Partner
RAHAB Ministries is a non-profit, so we rely on government grants as well as the generosity of our donors to keep our programs operating. In 2020 and 2021, private donors and churches provided over 45% of our revenue. This support allowed us to keep the lights on at every single one of our programs during the pandemic, including providing over 11,000 meals to those in need.
If you choose to be a financial donor, it can be as simple as a one-time donation or committing to regularly supporting our mission to serving those affected by trafficking. We appreciate every single act of generosity and value those who choose to partner with us.
3) Donate
In addition to financial partnership, you can give in-kind donations. Both of our drop-in and safe housing programs operate as homes and safe places for those we serve. Like any other household, we have needs for toiletries, school and craft supplies, household items, games, and many other things. We have closets where women and children can pick out new clothes as well, so clothing is always something we are looking for!
Donors sometimes make meals and desserts for holidays and our jail and street ministries. We post periodically about specific needs, and we have Amazon Wishlists for many of our areas of programming.
4) Partner with our Transitional Housing Program
Transitional Housing is a newer area of RAHAB programming, and with our community’s help we are working to build a network of support for survivors working fearlessly to live independently.
We are in need of partnering landlords to help provide affordable and safe housing, job training services to help those we serve get and keep jobs with living wages, and donated vehicles for reliable transportation.
5) Subscribe, Follow, and Learn
One of the best ways to prevent trafficking is to know what it looks like and how it affects our communities. We have twenty years of boots-on-the-ground experience with survivors of trafficking. We have heard and seen it all, and we want to pass our knowledge and expertise on to you.
Our newsletter, Facebook, Instagram, blog, and podcast are great resources to learn the truth about human trafficking. You can sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page and find our podcast on our site as well as anywhere you listen to podcasts. Our Instagram is @rahabministries and our Facebook is Rahab Ministries.
There are many ways to get involved with the fight against human trafficking. We believe that every woman and child we serve has hope in Christ, and we also believe that everyone can play a part in eradicating the problem of sex trafficking altogether.
By partnering with RAHAB, you can actively join the fight against human trafficking. Thank you for your dedication and bravery towards this cause!