I am writing to ask you for your assistance and support at a critical time in our young ministry to human trafficking victims. It is estimated by the Renewal Forum, a nonprofit agency which participates in policy, research, and advocacy related to human trafficking, that 1,650 kids in the greater Kansas City area are victimized each year. The Department of Justice study on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) found that Kansas City ranked number two nationally in terms of risk for DMST. Through our partnership with AwareKC to prevent minors from being victimized, our staff participated in identifying 103 youth that were being groomed by sexual predators online and connected them with appropriate law enforcement and/or counseling resources.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri launched the Human Trafficking Rescue Project (HTRP) in 2006. The victim services arm of the task force is the Coalition Against Human Trafficking (CAHT). CAHT consists of numerous nongovernment organizations which collaborate with HTRP to provide necessary services for the victims of trafficking. Restoration House of Greater Kansas City is a member of the Coalition. We learned from these sources that residential recovery services is the biggest gap and the need for programs and services for victims is in high demand. Thus, the mission of Restoration House of Greater Kansas City is to help minors and adult victims live fully restored lives through its holistic healing programs. Since opening our doors for residential services in June of 2015, fifteen women have received residential wrap around services and a total of fifty women subject to commercial sexual exploitation have been provided non residential assistance and services.
Christine McDonald, sex trafficking survivor and Program Director of Restoration House, states that “Restoration House of Greater Kansas City is the safe haven, the hope we (victims) dreamed of. Restoration House has compassionate staff who take care of victims unconditionally and work individually with each woman that comes into the program. The hope we never knew exists today. The women and girls have a chance at hope, and a safe place so that they do not need to die at the hands of a buyer, or trafficker, or at their own hands due to hopelessness and despair.”
There is no doubt that sex trafficking is happening in Kansas City and this is not what we want to be known for! We believe the only viable solution to this huge injustice is our community working together in partnership with organizations like Restoration House to say “Not In Our City!”
I would like to encourage you to pray and choose one of the following options that best fit your church’s participation in the mission of Restoration House:
1) Select a Sunday between August and October for a special Restoration House Offering. We will provide you with envelopes and a link for online giving.
2) Conduct a “Red House Campaign”. We will provide your church with the requested number of 3×5 inch plastic red house “piggy banks.” You would have families in the church fill those houses with donations and return by a designated date.
3) Include Restoration House in your autumn Mission Conference as a participating ministry.
4) Include Restoration House in your new church fiscal year Budget
We will provide video, print and other resources to support your promotion
of the option you choose and collection of the funds. If desired, we will also
set up displays and/or provide speakers for your church as part of the campaign
or promotion as well. In addition, any individual donor that invests $100 or
more will receive a copy of Christine McDonald’s book, Cry Purple.
Please let our Development Director, Steven Robinson, or Jennifer Hutton
in our office know of your intention to participate, which option is best for your
church, and what promotional support and involvement you desire. You can
reach Steven at [email protected] or Jennifer at [email protected] or call (816) 623-5260.
Thank you for your partnership in the gospel and your kind consideration!
