By Dr. Lois Lee | Founder & President, Children of the Night
No one says it better when it comes to the good work at Children of the Night than a graduate who continues to thrive and benefit from our lifelong casework...
Dear Children of the Night Supporter,
I attended the United State of Women Summit in D.C.
I was 13 when I met my first pimp. An FBI agent put me in juvenile hall, no criminal charges, but because it was the "safest" place for me.
He gave me Children of the Night's 800 number and in less than a week I was out of juvenile hall and on a plane to LAX.
No judgment, only kindness, compassion, mixed with a little tough love, and some of the best food, EVER! I began another journey, healing. Ms. Ventura and Maddie were patient and worked with me to get my GED. I was put in therapy; I was taken to doc appointments. Every Friday we had an outing. My favorite was going to Malibu beach. I still miss those outings and wish I would have appreciated them more.
I was able to attend grad night at Disneyland, which was also amazing. I was surrounded by younger girls who had gone through similar circumstances. When I left, August 2008, I went back home and enrolled in community college and was given a very good job, but it wasn't long before I went back into the life. I was one of the problem children for Lois. She gave me tough love and told me to pull my head out of my butt. 2 years later on May 4, 2011, I left the game for good.
Because of my community work and college accomplishments working on International Studies concentrating in Peace Studies/Human Rights I was nominated to attend the United State of Women Summit in D.C.
I called Children of the Night, to tell Maribel the exciting news. Within a week, Lois paid for my airfare and room. I cried, because I was given such an amazing opportunity and Lois made it possible.
I was very nervous the morning of the summit. I arrived at the convention center and the line wrapped around the building twice with over 5,000 women and men. The energy was electrifying. Powerful speeches by Joe Biden, Mariska Hargitay, President Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama filled the day. I met many influential, driven, hardworking women. I made lifelong f riends and got to explore our nation's capital.
I am so truly grateful that I was given the opportunity to attend something so monumental. Lois, thank you for your tough love. You and my experiences are the reason I want to work with trafficking survivors.
-Katherine
Thank you making her life possible! We can't do the work we do without you!
Now, here is an update of our recent accomplishments:
From January 1 – November 13, 2016, we received 4701 calls on our toll free nationwide sex trafficking hotline.
There were
Of those callers
Children of the Night's Shelter Home
Children of the Night is the only place in North America where a parent may send their child for recovery from sex trafficking/prostitution and not have to relinquish his/her parental rights.
Between January 1 – November 13, 2016, our shelter home received 73 children (ages 11 -17) who have been sex trafficked right here in the United States.
All of our residents attend our on-site classroom. So far this year,
**Completion of the independent living program and the achievement of at least 50 wpm in keyboarding provides the child with the opportunity to attend driver’s training.
Links:
By Dr. Lois Lee | Founder & President, Children of the Night
By Dr. Lois Lee | Founder & President
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