Service Group and Faith Alliance Meeting 11/17/2020
Announcements:
- If your organization would like to host a blood drive in your parking lot, please contact Officer Ragland (kenneth.ragland@apexnc.org). In addition to collecting life-saving blood, a financial donation will be made to Shield NC.
- The Apex PD will be doing Christmas With A Cop again this year. Please contact Officer Ragland if you would like to nominate a family. (kenneth.ragland@apexnc.org)
- The Apex PD has decided to adopt ALL seniors at Brentwood and Spring Arbor this year since it was such a popular outreach last year. They need help in collecting gifts for the seniors in these communities. They will need items such as gripper socks, toiletries, 100 piece puzzles(with large pieces), art supplies, games, etc.
- Project Fight is putting together gifts such as gift cards. Please Elizabeth Hunter for more information elizabeth.hunter@uss.salvationarmy.org.
- Western Wake Crisis Center is looking for a site to host final interviews for their ED in which they can appropriately space. Also, if anyone is in need of an office cubicle, WWCM has one to donate.Guest SpeakerBritney Williams, founder of Est/Her International, spoke to us about her progress in opening a home for human trafficking survivors in Apex. Britney has served young people since her early days as a youth director at her church. Through many overseas missions trips she was exposed to the horrors of human trafficking and felt a calling to help eradicate it. She decided to move to San Pedro, Belize to serve as executive director at the Shine Girls program which assists girls coming out of trafficking. There she helped to create Hope Haven which consists of an artisan program, food bank, shelter, classroom and a safe place for human trafficking survivors. (For more info on Shine and Hope Haven click here.)
We are now fortunate to have Britney back in her hometown of Apex, NC! Since she has returned, she founded Est/Her International. Short for “Establish Her”, Est/Her International supports abused and at-risk women and young people within local communities through empowerment and education all by the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Their next step is to open a home for human trafficking survivors in Apex. Shield NC has partnered with Britney as she visited several “stateside” survivor homes and continues to evaluate relevant research to determine best practices for operating a home and develop effective, evidence-based treatment for survivors. Britney has also spent the last couple of years building relationships with the local organizations who are already combating human trafficking. She has completed her due diligence and is now ready to act.
The vision for the Apex home is a large natural area with several buildings and multiple independent living structures. Phase One of the survivor program will entail living with a few other survivors in the main home with the oversight of a “house mom”. In the next phase, the survivor would be offered an independent living situation with less supervision. In each phase the individual will attend various life skill classes, receive trauma care counseling with a trauma-informed therapist and work at an on-site studio in order to learn business skills and develop a good work ethic.
Britney picked Apex, NC for this project because she knows Apex is a warm, supportive community. Her instinct was confirmed by the support of our mayor and individuals on the town council. Her endeavor has also received approval and encouragement by the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission.
Britney would love to speak with you and answer any questions you have. You can email her at britney.est-her.org or call 704-591-1091. She is passionate about restoring women and would be excited to hear from anyone who would like to serve