BREAK FREE RUN ON NOVEMBER 8TH Join the Freedom House Team The second annual Break Free Run to End Human Trafficking (formerly Run for Courage) is being held on Saturday morning, November 8, at Lake Merritt in Oakland. Race start and finish lines are in Lakeside Park on Bellevue Avenue.Stop by the Freedom House information table at 8:00 a.m. to meet up with our many supporters who are participating in the event. To register, please visit www.breakfree.org. Funds raised from the 10K/5K races support a variety of education, awareness and restorative efforts and programs, including Freedom House, which was selected to be among the 2014 beneficiaries.
RESIDENTIAL SHELTER UPDATES: The Monarch: The "safe house" for adult female survivors, located in San Mateo County, recently benefited from two home improvement projects. Volunteer gardeners from Central Peninsula Church, led by Billy Wang, undertook the backyard beautification, while a group from Los Altos United Methodist Church (pictured) constructed a large shed with shelving to store clothing donations. Residents now enjoy "shopping" the Monarch's closet of contributions, and are grateful for the many stylish choices which help to build their self-esteem. The Nest: Young Bay Area survivors who reside at The Nest are benefiting from the program's use of multiple evidence-based interventions to help them achieve their dreams. One of the most successful is "Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS)," which decreases negative behavior by rewarding the positive. By using a strength-based perspective and focusing on an individual's goals, the staff has directed residents to resolve conflict in an appropriate manner and learn to express themselves in a healthy way. The nurturing environment at The Nest has been conducive to personal growth, as many of the girls have stayed in placement for a substantial
amount of time.
GALA AUCTION ITEMS ARE BEING SOUGHT The Freedom House 6th Annual Gala and accompanying charity auction are six months away, and preparation now is underway. As the Saturday, April 25, date is just around the corner, volunteers are beginning to seek out the many tantalizing, popular and one-of-a-kind auction items to delight attendees and spark active bidding at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City. If you would like to be a member of the Gala's auction solicitation team, please contact [email protected].
ADVOCATE VOLUNTEER Bonnie Daughtry Bonnie was introduced to the abolitionist movement when representing the Burlingame United Methodist Church at a gathering to hear Congresswoman Jackie Speier discuss the Zero Tolerance Initiative of Human Trafficking in San Mateo County. It was the beginning of her education. She later attended the Not for Sale Global Forum, where she met representatives from Freedom House. Bonnie comments, "I was still reeling from my discovery of what was happening around the world, and then came face-to-face with people who were working in my own backyard." As a member of the BUMC Missions Team, Bonnie has collected donations from the congregation, arranged to purchase Christmas gifts for survivors at The Monarch, and donated backpacks of school supplies for The Nest from BUMC's annual Backpackpalooza event. Since completing the advocacy training, Bonnie frequently volunteers her time. "I am willing to travel as far as I need to go to get the word out about human trafficking and Freedom House." Bonnie is true to her word. She is pictured at the Break Free Run in Folsom, Calif. in September. Bonnie was onsite at 5:45 a.m. to meet race attendees and ably represent Freedom House.
SHELTER AND ADVOCATE VOLUNTEERS Sara and Megan Blanchfield In 2012, Sara watched the documentary "Half the Sky" with her 15-year-old daughter Megan, which stirred their hearts in a way they never before had experienced. This mother and daughter team knew they "couldn't, and wouldn't, sit and do nothing." They attended Freedom Summit, and soon after, both trained as Freedom House advocates. Sara, who also is a shelter volunteer at The Nest, has raised awareness through organizing candlelight yoga fundraisers and becoming the liaison between Los Altos United Methodist Church and Freedom House. Although Megan is too young to become a shelter volunteer, she has focused on raising awareness by working closely with Break Free and participating in the Break Free Run in Oakland. Pete Blanchfield also joined forces with his wife and daughter to combat trafficking by participating in the "Swing for Freedom" golf event to raise funds for The Nest. A favorite quote by Martin Luther King inspires the family: "Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter." As Sara comments, "This is why we will continue to do whatever is in our power as a family to support Freedom House, its residents, and our fellow volunteers, so we may continue the incredible progress that is being made because of a community that has come together to end human trafficking."
About Freedom House: Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Freedom House is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID #27-0248325), with a mission to bring hope, restoration, and a new life to survivors of human trafficking by providing housing and long-term aftercare services. In August 2010, Freedom House launched The Monarch, the first safe home and aftercare program of its kind
in Northern California for adult female survivors. The Nest, located in Santa Clara County, is one of the few residential shelters in the country dedicated to helping girls, ages 12 to 17, who are survivors of the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Through its pioneering aftercare model, Freedom House is breaking the cycle of human exploitation and creating new futures for survivors. To learn how you can become involved, visit www.FreedomHouseSF.org
