Dear Selah Freedom Supporter, 
 

It has been an incredible journey to watch our vision for Selah Freedom unfold over the past ten years! Many years ago, what began as a "God-dream" has become one of the leading anti-sex trafficking organizations in the country and a model for success in this industry. We owe this to our invaluable collaborative partnerships, selfless volunteers, generous champion donors, brilliant board  and dedicated staff. I could not be more grateful to witness lives transform before my very eyes every single day! 

2020 came with unique challenges no one could have predicted, but Selah Freedom continued to bring light into the darkness of sex trafficking despite all of the unprecedented changes we faced. We continued operating all four of our programs working in innovative ways to reach those in need of our life-saving resources. Mothers were reunited with their children. Survivors received their GED's, even pursued college online and new careers. Volunteers connected in new ways by leading activities online, and young lives experienced breakthroughs each day in our programs. 

Thank you for continuing to believe in our vital mission at Selah Freedom. I am excited to share the amazing things that took place over the past year with you!

Sincerely,

Laurie Swink

Co-Founder

Since Selah Freedom was founded in 2011:

6,282 SURVIVORS SERVED

27,347 KIDS & ADULTS TRAINED

171,345,700 EDUCATED

OVER 60 ORGANIZATIONS MENTORED

Organizations in the U.S. and internationally have been mentored in how to establish sustainable, successful programming based on Selah Freedom's best practices.

OVER 50 CHILDREN
HAVE BEEN REUNITED WITH THEIR MOTHERS

Survivors are taking parenting classes and reconnecting with their children.

Thanks to these new experiences, survivors become the healthy and caring mothers they always dreamed of being.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SURVIVORS

We have partnered with ten new community partners to provide survivors with career opportunities.

After coming to Selah Freedom, survivors pursue their educational goals as well as their career goals. They are discovering their new gifts, in turn fueling their self-confidence and passions.

We have also formed a Survivor Advisory Board and focus groups with the University of South Florida.

Through these new avenues, graduates of our program have an opportunity to share their experiences and continue helping Selah Freedom best serve survivors.

DURING A PANDEMIC...
WE CONTINUED TO
IMPACT LIVES!

Nearly 200 guests, volunteers, friends, and family members gathered both in-person and virtually for Selah Freedom's 'Good News Celebration.' The special evening honored and celebrated the organization's largest graduating class of survivors from our program.

Thanks to Selah Freedom, our community of volunteers and partners in the law enforcement/judicial system, thirteen young women graduated from our program this year. Including survivors from our Midwest and Florida programs. Two survivor graduates shared about coming to Selah Freedom, feeling hopeless and unworthy of help. They explained their journey into freedom, going to school, and starting careers that they love and spoke words of encouragement to the women currently in the program. 

"Hang in there and show up for yourself and those who love you because life on the other side is so much more beautiful and meaningful than you could have ever imagined." There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Thankfully they were all happy tears.

Residential Program
A Safe Place to Heal

42 SURVIVORS SERVED IN 2020

Survivors in our safe homes often share that it is the first time they have felt safe in years (if ever). When they come home to Selah Freedom, we welcome them into a new family, not a shelter. They receive trauma therapy, horse therapy, art therapy, puppy therapy, a personalized education plan, job placements, dental and medical aid, legal aid, life skills, mentorship, and so much more!

87% of survivor graduates do not return to "the life."

100% of the survivors in our program are pursuing their educational and career goals.

Prevention Program
Protecting Our Children Amid A Pandemic

7,532 KIDS & ADULTS TRAINED IN 2020

Our Prevention Program provides training for K-12th graders, parents, and adults working with youth. Through evidence-based, age-appropriate, cutting-edge training in the classroom and online, we can reach the most vulnerable population to being exploited and trafficked—our children. By empowering them to know the red flags to watch out for, know the power of their voice, and what to do if they are approached or abused, we create a shield of protection for the next generation.

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Did you know?

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• 1 out of 9 children are being approached by a predator online

• 2 million children are sold each year through sex trafficking

• Child sex trafficking is being reported in all 50 states

• 91% of childhood sexual abuse victims report knowing their abuser

• 92% of sex trafficking survivors were sexually abused as children

Our trainings are now all available on a virtual platform in English and Spanish.

94% of trained youths know the body safety rules to keep themselves safe.

92% can name three safe adults they can talk to if they feel unsafe;

91% know the difference between a secret and a surprise.

SELAH FREEDOM VOLUNTEERS
BRING HOPE, HEALING AND JOY TO OUR PROGRAMS

OVER 3,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS SERVED IN 2020

Volunteers are the backbone of our programs and serve in a multitude of ways at Selah Freedom. From beautification days and celebrating holidays together to leading group activities and cooking meals as a "Selah family," each man and woman is deeply appreciated! When COVID-19 created unprecedented circumstances within our programs, volunteers continued to step up in incredible ways. Simply put, we could not, and would not want to, do this work without you! Every volunteer is beloved by the survivors in our program, and they get so excited when they get to build meaningful relationships with them. 

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THANK YOU to the volunteers who transitioned to virtual activities with survivors, donated and dropped off much-needed items from groceries to Easter baskets, and discovered innovative ways to touch lives during this challenging year. We are forever grateful!

OUR YOUNGEST VOLUNTEERS TO BRING
LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS OF SEX TRAFFICKING
SELAH FREEDOM'S JUNIOR ADVISORY BOARD

2020 Junior Advisory Board

Kylie Davidson

JAB Executive Board Member Co-Chair 

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Amanda Davidson

Co-Chair

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Riley Jones

Treasurer

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Julia Ramsey

Communications Chair

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Grace Ramsey

Secretary

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Grace Mangel

Special Events Chair

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Camille Frient

Social Media Chair

 Ashley Cotter 

Membership Chair

Our Junior Advisory Board is comprised of students from multiple high schools throughout the North Shore of Chicago. These boys and girls are passionate about ending sex trafficking and educating their peers on this issue. They have been recognized as leaders in their community for their work with Selah Freedom. During the pandemic, they continued to be a voice for the voiceless! We are forever inspired when the next generation stands up for FREEDOM!