Local charity wants to open housing for sexual exploitation survivors

A safe, stable home.

It’s something that many take for granted. But for women and girls escaping sexual exploitation it is often the biggest need.

“Without that home base, without that safety, it’s hard to access other programming,” said Jennifer Lucking, a co-founder and inaugural executive director of Restorations.

The local, faith-based charitable organization is working to open its first home for women escaping human trafficking or any sexual exploitation, with the goal to give them a safe place to live and heal for a year or two.

The hope is to open by the end of this year, she said. Ideally it will be located in rural Hamilton or Halton, away from downtown, and have rooms for about three women, plus space for programs. They would also co-ordinate with other local agencies for counselling, legal aid and other services.

The idea for Restorations was borne out of a church event raising awareness about sexual exploitation through the Christian sexual exploitation awareness organization Defend Dignity. This was in 2013 at Gateway Church in Caledonia. After the event, a group approached Lucking and said they wanted to do more.

At first they bounced around the idea of raising money, perhaps through a café, for an organization that provides housing. But, Lucking said, they soon discovered that there really wasn’t such an organization locally.

That’s when they realized “maybe we’re supposed to do that and be that organization,” she said.

Lucking has been working against sexual exploitation for most of the last decade, working with front-line organizations, doing her master’s thesis on how pimps recruit women and girls, and being involved as a missionary with the Reformed Church of America.

It is the RCA that is funding her job as executive director — a role she stepped into roughly a year ago. Since then, Lucking has been working full time planning all of the policies, procedures and training manuals to get the organization rolling.

They’ve raised about $60,000 toward the first home, but need about $2 million committed before they can open.

“It was really discouraging working and promising survivors, giving them hope that they can leave this abusive situation, and then to find that there was really little solution for the ‘what next,’” Lucking said.

Shelters can be used, but are not ideal. Many don’t have staff trained to deal with sexual exploitation victims’ unique needs. Shelters can also be a vulnerable place where traffickers target victims, she said.

Lucking knows the need is overwhelming; she’s constantly been asked if they’re open yet. But she also knows that they need to make sure they have stable funding before opening, or risk re-traumatizing survivors by having to close.

She previously worked with Walk With Me, an emergency shelter organization that rescued human trafficking victims. It closed due to unstable funding.

That’s why Lucking said the business plan for Restorations is to be a community organization. They wouldn’t refuse government funding, but fundamentally want to be part of the community with fundraising being community-driven.

Restorations sits on several collaborative organizations working to end human trafficking in local communities, including the Hamilton Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition.

They meet regularly to share information and training, but Restorations is one of only a few organizations with the sole mandate to tackle human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

The first Restorations home will be second-stage housing, meaning it’s the place survivors can go after they’ve fled an emergency situation. “It’s not a quick fix,” she said. “The first month is a win if the girls can sleep and eat and go for walks.”

Then from there they will work on accessing trauma counselling, life skills, conflict resolution and education.

This initial home will not include drug detox treatment, and will not be for women with children.

But Lucking says the “big dream” will be to continue growing and open more residences, including next-stage, more independent living closer to the downtown with access to transit, school and jobs for women who’ve graduated from the first home.

Of course, it all depends on funding.

Restorations recently purchased the licensing rights to show a Christian film about human trafficking called “Priceless.” They are looking for places to show screenings that would be free for people to attend, but where they would accept donations.

For more information about Restorations or for the link to donate, visit restorationscanada.org.