She was a runaway ...

Truth That Hurts...... Toni L.Vossen 2012

Dear toni, Earlier this month, I told you about Deena. She was broken and seemed almost beyond help when she first came into our partner's care. She was a runaway ... physically, sexually, and psychologically tortured ... pimped out by a gang ... branded with gang tattoos.  I told you how she steadily gained ground with loving care. In just under one year she has made amazing progress in life skills and healthy relationships, schoolwork, and a developing spiritual life... read more about Deena's story. Deena happens to be an American girl being cared for in a home that Shared Hope supports.  The story of her sexual abuse is not confined to America---it is worldwide. But so is the story of her recovery! We have learned much over the years of working with our precious partners abroad to implement amazing programs of rescue and restoration.  Some of my staff will be in India and Nepal this month reconnecting with the partners still with us from the earliest days of Shared Hope, seeing women that we met as victims many years ago--now serving as leaders in these organizations! Isn't it satisfying to know that together you and Shared Hope have helped restore so many lives that seemed to be, like Deena's, hopeless cases? Deena's progress...and Ganga's and Shanti's...are all cause for celebration---but they also underscore the great need for more refuges of healing. Right now, Shared Hope is focused on making that happen in the U.S. in the following ways: We are investing in service providers that stand in the gap today. We are building a foundation for a broader service provider network.  We are helping states improve laws that impact child sex slavery, particularly victim services. You have an extraordinary opportunity to participate personally, through a remarkable "Restoration Matching Challenge" offered by an individual who has confidence in Shared Hope's leadership to advance restoration services for trafficked victims. Any gift given will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $75,000, through our Restoration Matching Challenge. So please give generously today!  Linda Smith Founder and President of Shared Hope International