Women’s Ministries Sets 2018-2020 Goal for WWAM Project
Church of God Women’s Ministries has a goal to raise $500,000 for the House of Cherith, a ministry to stop human trafficking under the umbrella of the Atlanta City of Refuge.
For more than 21 years, City of Refuge has been bringing light, hope, and transformation to individuals, families, and communities in crisis by providing services such as housing, medical care, parenting, financial classes, and vocational training. City of Refuge has developed a process in which personal responsibility and resource provision result in a radical life-change.
In 2011, as a result of a dramatic encounter with a survivor, City of Refuge began to engage in anti-trafficking efforts for those who have experienced trafficking, exploitation, or a life in the adult entertainment industry. Over the past nearly five years, the program known as the “House of Cherith” has received 670 women and walked the road of recovery with them. In addition to the services provided all clients in crisis, House of Cherith also provides trauma-informed care, licensed social workers, and clinicians to assist the ladies on their journeys.
To date, House of Cherith has only been able to serve adult women without children or without children in their care. Separating mothers from their children while the mother receives the care she needs is heartbreaking and detrimental to both mother and child. Very few homes are available in the United States to serve this population, and we feel strongly compelled to address this issue.
In partnership with Church of God Women Ministries, House of Cherith will undertake this critical lack of housing for mothers and children with the purchase of a home, or homes, that will provide long-term recuperative care for both mother and children, many of whom will have been exploited or certainly exposed to inappropriate sexual behavior. This home will be the first of its kind launched by House of Cherith, City of Refuge, and the Church of God, and will provide a model for organizations around the country that work to confront the trafficking issue.
Church of God Women’s Ministries has adopted House of Cherith as their 2018-2020 “Women With A Mission” project. Last fall, state and regional Women’s Ministries leaders took a day trip to the City of Refuge to observe in person the work that is being accomplished through the ministries of House of Cherith. The 2018-2020 goal is to raise $500,000 for a shelter for young mothers and their children caught in the tragedy of human trafficking.
“Together, we can provide a place of refuge, healing, and restoration for many, many mothers and children,” stated Church of God Women’s Ministries President Paula Hill. “With God’s help, we will change the future of generations to come!”
To learn more about or to support Women’s Ministries and the House of Cherith “Women with A Mission” project, visit www.cogwomensministries.com
