Protecting our women and girls: WFWP Ohio supports local non-profit fighting human trafficking

Not every child is fortunate enough to be born into a loving and nurturing home. Here in the United States, more than 250,000 neglected and abused children are removed from precarious home environments and placed under foster care each year, according to the National Foster Youth Institute. Those youth who remain in the foster care system into their late teens without being settled into a stable home are faced with the daunting prospect of managing life on their own at age 18, when they “age out” of the system. Homelessness, substance abuse and unwanted pregnancies are some of the challenges that await young women in particular. This is where organizations like Strong Tower come in to provide a much-needed safety net during this transitional period.

Strong Tower is a newly established non-profit that aims to provide a home for young women who have aged out of the foster system and are at risk or have been caught in human trafficking. A brick school building once used to educate hundreds of rural children is currently being transformed into a settlement complex much like a boarding house, providing rooms, living area, kitchen and coaching from an on-staff mentor. 

To raise funds and awareness for this ambitious project, Strong Tower organized a Family Fall Festival on September 21st in Newark, Ohio. On this day, which is also recognized as the International Day of Peace, the local chapter of Women’s Federation for World Peace in Ohio was among the other organizations, vendors and churches that came out in support of this effort to protect the most vulnerable young ladies in the community.

In addition to presenting information about the work of WFWP, members of WFWP Ohio gathered signatures for a petition to end violence against women and girls. 

This activity was an easy way to meet people of all walks of life, ages and cultural backgrounds to talk about their experiences and thoughts on the subject. 

Events like this that raise awareness about the challenges facing women in our society, whether it be violence in the home or struggling to make it on their own after foster care, are the catalyst to bring about lasting change.